Romeo and Juliet
by Rosewood girl 317
Summary: Aria and Ezra have been in school together since preschool. They know nothing about each other, except the fact that their families don't get along. When they start to fall in love their junior year of high school how will their families react? Will their love for each other be able to conquer all? Please read and review!
1. Introduction

Ella Montgomery walked up to the large brick preschool building, holding her four-year old daughter. They entered the building and walked into Mrs. Petty's room. Ella saw an older woman walking over to greet them.

" You must be Aria and Ella, I'm Mrs. Petty." The woman said while shaking Ella's hand.

" Hello Mrs. Petty it's so nice to meet you. My husband and I have heard great things about you." Ella told the woman.

" You have a lovely little girl." The older woman said gesturing towards Aria.

The four-year old buried her face into her mothers chest. She was a lovely toddler. Aria was smaller than most of the children, and she wore her curly burnet hair in two pigtails. Her beautiful hazel eyes sparkled when ever someone talked to her.

" Aria honey, it's time for mommy to go." Ella said and put down her daughter.

" No Mommy." The little girl muttered with tears running down her cheeks.

" Don't worry, your Daddy and I will come back to get you at noon." Ella said trying to comfort the scared little girl.

At this point, Aria was in hysterics. Ella couldn't help but cry when she saw how sad her baby girl was.

" Maybe she is to young too be starting school. I think I'll just bring her back in a couple of months." Ella told the teacher.

" No, four years old is the perfect time to start her. All new students have this reaction. How about you stay here for a couple of minutes until she gets settled." Mrs. Petty suggested.

" Okay." Ella agreed.

Aria clung to her mothers legs crying. Ella noticed a little boy staring at Aria. He had adorable curly brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. Aria made eye contact with the boy and shot him a shy smile. The two four-year olds stared at each other for some time. Finally, the blue-eyed boy started walking towards Aria.

" I'm Ezra, do you want to play a game with me?" The little boy asked.

" Okay." Aria said pulling away from her mother.

A couple of minutes later, the two were running around the class room like they had been friends for years.

" Aria is very shy, she doesn't usually make friends this quickly." Ella told the teacher.

" Ezra is a very sweet little boy." Mrs. Petty replied.

Ella watched the two four-year olds play for a couple of minutes. Ezra looked extremely familiar. Ella swore she had seen those blue eyes somewhere.

" What's Ezra's last name?" Ella asked.

" Fitz. He is Dianne and Robert Fitz's son. Why do you know them?" The teacher asked.

" Yes." Was all the woman could manage to say.

All of the sudden Ella felt sick.

" Aria looks happy, I think I'm going to head out.' Ella said.

" Okay, I'll see you at noon." Mrs. Petty replied.

Ella exited the building as quickly as she could. She couldn't believe the Fitzes had a son Aria's age, in Aria's class. The woman couldn't even think of how to tell her husband. Byron was going to go mad when found out. Ella decided that what her husband didn't know wasn't going to hurt him. The Fitzes had caused enough stress for the young couple. She would just let Byron find out for himself.

At eleven thirty that same afternoon Byron met his wife at home.

" Are you ready to pick up Aria?" Byron asked his wife.

" You don't have to come, I can pick her up myself." Ella told Byron.

" Are you kidding? I got off work early just so I could pick my little girl up from her first day of preschool." Byron said.

Ella sighed, she knew she wouldn't win this battle. When they entered the classroom, Ella realized that Aria was still playing with Ezra.

" Aria!" Byron said running over to his daughter.

" Hi Daddy." The little girl replied.

He picked her up and asked, " How was your first day?"

" Good! I have a new best friend." The girl announced proudly.

" Do I get to meet this friend of yours?" Byron asked.

" Of course, Daddy this is Ezra." Aria said pointing to the blue-eyed boy.

Byron put Aria down and kneeled next to the little boy.

" Hello Ezra, I'm Aria's dad." Byron said introducing himself.

" Hi." Ezra said shyly.

Byron left his daughter to play with her new friend and walked over to introduce himself to her teacher. Ella was already there talking with her.

" Aria and Ezra played together all day." He overheard her tell his wife.

All of the sudden Ella turned white. Byron's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw why. Standing in the doorway was Dianne and Robert Fitz. The two couples stared at each other hatefully.

" What are you doing here?" Byron asked Robert.

" I'm here to pick up my son Ezra." Robert answered cooly.

" Did you say Ezra?" Byron asked.

" Yes, that's the name of our son." Robert answered.

All of a sudden, Byron ran over to where his daughter and Ezra were playing. He scooped her up in his arms and started to walk over to his wife.

" Come on Ella, we are leaving." Byron said angrily.

" Wait Daddy, can Ezra come over for a playdate?" Aria asked innocently.

" Absolutely not." Byron replied.

" Bye Aria!" Ezra shouted at the little girl.

" Did our son just talk to the Montgomery's kid?" Robert asked his wife furiously.

" Yes, tell your son to stay away from our daughter!" Byron yelled at Robert.

" Gladly." Robert replied.

Byron stormed out of the room with Aria in his arms.

" Daddy, why were you and Ezra's dad yelling at each other?" The confused girl asked.

" Don't worry about it sweetheart." Ella told Aria.

" She is transferring classes tomorrow." Byron told Ella from behind the steering wheel.

" But I want to stay with Ezra." Aria protested.

Byron pulled over and looked directly at Aria.

" You are not to talk to that boy ever again. Ezra is not a nice kid." Byron explained to the little girl.

" Okay Daddy." Aria answered with tears running down her face.

Aria transferred out of Mrs. Petty's class the next day.

**Twelve Years Later**

Aria walked into her first period English class. Today was her first day of eleventh grade. She chose a seat near her three best friends Emily, Spencer, and Hanna. The four sixteen year old girls laughed and joked. Aria saw Ezra Fitz walk into the class room. The two of them had been in school together since preschool. For some reason they were never in any of the same classes until they started high school at Rosewood Day. Aria only remembered talking to Ezra once on her first day of preschool. For some reason she didn't think her parents got along with his parents. She had secretly always found Ezra to be an attractive boy. When Ezra walked over towards Aria and her friends, Aria turned white. Ezra saw Aria's worried expression.

" What? Is this seat taken or something?" Ezra asked gesturing toward the seat in front of Aria.

Aria shook her head shyly and looked away. Ezra sat down and started writing down the homework that the teacher had written on the board.

" What kind of boxers do you think he wears?" Hanna whispered to Aria.

" How would I know?" Aria asked self-consciously.

" You seem interested in him." Hanna replied.

" Well I'm not." Aria replied slamming her notebook shut.

**What do you all think of this story? Should I continue?**


	2. Connection

Ezra's POV

I sigh to myself. What had I ever done to make Aria Montgomery hate me so much? Even though we have been in school together since preschool, we have hardly ever spoken. After she transferred out of Mrs. Petty's class, it was like she had fallen off the face of the Earth. I never noticed or acknowledged Aria until a Friday afternoon in eight grade. That morning my dad and I had gotten in a big argument. Wanting to stay away from home for as long as possible, I just circled around the playground assuming everyone was gone. So many unbearable thoughts were running through my head. Unable to stay composed, I broke down in tears. I saw a shadow and realized someone was approaching me. Mortified, I turned around to see who it was. To my surprise it was Aria Montgomery.

" Are you okay." She asked me in a gentle and concerned voice.

" I- I'm fine. I didn't realize anyone was here." I said embarrassed.

" I was over on the swings sketching when I noticed you. Then I saw you start to cry. Are you sure you're okay?" Aria asked me.

" I'm fine." I snapped rudely.

Aria's face fell. I could tell I had hurt her feelings.

" I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be harsh. I've just had a rough day." I explained to her apologetically.

" That's okay, I completely understand." Aria said.

The paper she was holding slipped out of her hand. I bent over to pick it up for her. It was a beautiful sketch of a withering rose.

" This is incredible! You are an amazing artist." I told her.

" I'm alright." She said blushing.

She looked at her watch, panic began to fill her face.

" Shoot! I promised my dad I would be home at four thirty. He is going to kill me." She said nervously.

_What does she mean? Maybe Aria actually understands._ I thought to myself.

" Don't worry. If your dad hits you, just try to think of a funny movie." I told her.

" Hit me? My dad never hits me. Does your dad hit you?" She asked me.

" No, the way you worded it made it sound like your dad hits you." I say, knowing I had given away too much.

" My dad would never do that to me. Sometimes he yells, but he would never physically hurt me." Aria explained.

" Oh that's good I guess. See you around." I said and scurried away.

I snapped back into reality as soon as the teacher started to talk.

" Good morning class, I hope you all had a wonderful summer. Welcome to your eleventh grade honors English class. For those of you who don't know me I'm Mrs. Harmaning. Your first assignment of the year is to recite a piece of Romeo and Juliet in front of the class. Girls will be paired up with boys, boys will paired up with girls. Any questions?" Mrs. Harmaning asks.

" Will we choose our partners?" Noel asks as his eyes dart over to Aria.

" No, I will choose them for you." Mrs. Harmaning replies.

The teacher goes through the rows and pairs everyone up.

" Ezra you and Aria will be partners." She announces.

I turn around to see Aria's shocked face, Hanna nudges her and smiles.

" It looks like we are partners." I try to say nicely.

" Yeah." Aria replies nervously.

" We should probably meet up, so we can practice." I suggest.

" Okay, how about at the library after school?" She asks.

" That sounds perfect." I reply.

" See you then." She says and walks quickly out of the classroom.

I see Noel start to walk toward me.

" She's pretty hot, isn't she?" Noel asks me angrily.

" Yeah, I never really noticed." I lie.

Noel steps in front of me and says, " Sure you didn't."

" What's that suppose to mean?" I question.

" I saw the way you two were looking at each other, I have eyes." Noel replies.

" Please, I don't like Aria." I say annoyed.

" Good, stay away from her." Noel demands.

" Why? Even if I did, you still wouldn't be able to get her to be your girlfriend." I say cooly.

" I'm working on that." He says and walks away.

Aria's POV

I'm sitting at the lunch table's with Emily, Hanna, and Spencer. The three of them happily talk about how much fun being an upperclassman is. I sigh absent-mindedly as I watch Ezra talk with a big group of boys.

" What's wrong Aria?" Emily asks me worriedly.

" Why would you think somethings wrong?" I ask her.

" The lights in the building are dimming because of all the energy you are sucking out of the air." Spencer answers.

" I think she is just thinking about her new English partner." Hanna teases.

" What? No!" I say blushing.

" Why are you always so jumpy around him?" Spencer asks.

Instantly my mind goes back to a Friday afternoon in eight grade. I was sitting on the swings sketching when I saw Ezra. He was just walking around the black top, all of the sudden he broke down in tears. I remember seeing him so shattered, so broken. Unable to stop myself, I walked over to talk to him. He assured me that he was fine and asked me about my dad hitting me. I was confused, but I didn't think much off our conversation. The main thing I remember was my dad's reaction when I got home that afternoon.

" Where have you been? Your mother and I have been worried sick about you." My dad said angrily.

My parents have always been strangely protective of me. I was only half an hour late and they were ready to call a rescue team.

" I'm so sorry. I was at the park sketching and I saw a boy in my grade walking around crying. I went to make sure he was okay and I lost track of time." I explained apologetically.

" That's okay sweetheart, who was the boy?" My dad asked.

" Ezra Fitz." I replied.

"What?" My dad asked angrily.

A terrified expression washed over my mother's face. She quickly walked towards me and wrapped her arms around me.

" Did that boy, or anyone else hurt you Aria?" My dad asked me worriedly.

" What are you talking about?" I asked confused.

" Just promise me you will stay as far away from the Fitzes as possible." My dad said.

" Okay I will." I promised.

I felt Spencer nudge me and my daydream ended.

" I should get going." I say and storm out of the cafeteria.

Later that Day ( Still Aria's POV)

I sit in the library and wait for Ezra to arrive. Finally he walks into the library and sits down next to me.

" I'm sorry I'm late, I think I found the perfect piece for us to recite." Ezra tells me.

" That's okay, can I see it?" I ask.

He nods and hands the sheet of paper to me. I read through it and smile, it was beautiful.

" Perfect." I say.

We read through it a couple of times avoiding eye contact, I am unable to dispel any emotion. A girl who is a senior at Rosewood High approaches us suddenly.

" Are you two in Mrs. Harmaning's class?" She asks us.

" Yes we are, why?" Ezra asks.

" I remember doing this assignment last year. I've been watching you two rehearse, and no offense you're terrible." She replies.

I am instantly taken aback by her honest comment.

" What are we doing wrong?" I ask.

" You are not connecting at all. The point of Romeo and Juliet is to find away to be with the person you love against all odds. It's a powerful message and you need to make your audience feel something. Before you can make them feel something, you need to feel something." She explains.

" How are we suppose to feel something? We hardly know each other." I say annoyed.

" Look into each others eyes, and connect." She demands.

I look into Ezra's beautiful blue eyes, instantly a wave of happiness washes over me. He gives me gentle smile, which causes me to blush.

" Romeo read your lines to Juliet from the heart." She says.

Ezra looks directly into my eyes and says;

_"But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?_

_It is the east, and Juliet is the sun._

_Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,_

_Who is already sick and pale with grief,_

_That thou her maid art far more fair than she:_

_Be not her maid, since she is envious;_

_Her vestal livery is but sick and green_

_And none but fools do wear it; cast it off._

_It is my lady, O, it is my love!_

_O, that she knew she were!_

_She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?_

_Her eye discourses; I will answer it._

_I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:_

_Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,_

_Having some business, do entreat her eyes_

_To twinkle in their spheres till they return._

_What if her eyes were there, they in her head?_

_The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,_

_As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven_

_Would through the airy region stream so bright_

_That birds would sing and think it were not night._

_See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!_

_O, that I were a glove upon that hand,_

_That I might touch that cheek."_

I say;

"_Ay me_."

Ezra continues saying;

"_O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art_

_As glorious to this night, being o'er my head_

_As is a winged messenger of heaven_

_Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes_

_Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him_

_When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds_

_And sails upon the bosom of the air."_

I finish it off by saying;

" _O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?_

_Deny thy father and refuse thy name_

_Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,_

_And I'll no longer be a Capul__et_.

_Tis but thy name that is my enemy;_

_Thou art thyself, though not a Montague._

_What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,_

_Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part_

_Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!_

_What's in a name? that which we call a rose_

_By any other name would smell as sweet;_

_So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,_

_Retain that dear perfection which he owes_

_Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,_

_And for that name which is no part of thee_

_Take all myself."_

_" _That was amazing, you two really have chemistry." The senior said.

" Thank you for your help." Ezra said.

" No problem, I should get going but good luck." She said and walked away.

" You were amazing Aria." Ezra told me.

" So were you." I reply blushing.

" I never realized how pretty your hazel eyes are." Ezra says.

" I guess I'll see you tomorrow." I say and walk away.

We smile at each other and go our separate ways.

**I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. Thank you for all of your kind reviews, I really appreciate them. The poem Aria and Ezra said was from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". We are actually reading the play in my ninth grade honors English class, that is how I got the inspiration for this story. Have a good weekend and please review!**


	3. Aria come back!

Aria's POV

_Where am I? I look around and realize I am alone on an empty beach. I hear the powerful waves crashing against the seashore and feel the warmth of the sun on my bare skin. Despite the soothing atmosphere, something doesn't seem right. I realize I am looking for someone, that person is Ezra Fitz. I turn to the endless blue ocean and see Ezra and his toned body making his way towards me. I begin to long for his affection. When he finally is in reaching distance from me, I embrace him. _

_" Aria." He whispers in a low hushed voice._

" Aria, wake up." My mom says and nudges me gently.

I feel my cheeks turn red. I can't believe I just had a dream about Ezra.

" Is everything okay honey?" My mom asks worriedly.

" Yeah, I just had a weird dream." I explain.

" Well hurry up and get dressed." Mom says and exits my room.

Later that Morning (Still Aria's POV)

I sit in my first period English class quietly. Ezra has not arrived yet, not that I care. I see Noel Kahn approach me from the corner of my eye. I silently pray for him to leave me alone.

" What's up Montgomery?" Noel asks me.

" Not much." I reply and pretend I'm writing down the homework.

" Good, so you'll be at my football game Friday night?" He asks.

" I actually have plans." I say hoping he will get the message.

" Maybe we can meet up afterwards." He says and runs his hand up my thigh.

I flinch at his cold unwanted touch.

" Sorry, she already agreed to sleep over at my place." Spencer says interrupting Noel.

" Maybe some other time." Noel says and walks away annoyed.

" Thank you so much." I say to Spencer.

" No problem, I've got your back." She says and smiles.

I see Ezra walk into the classroom and I quickly turn away from Spencer.

" Are you ready?" Ezra asks me.

" Honestly, not really. I get sick just thinking about speaking in front of all our peers." I explain.

" Don't worry, you were amazing yesterday. Just look at me, not anyone else." He says gently.

I can do that pretty easily. I remember the dream I woke up to this morning and become extremely uncomfortable.

" Okay." Is all I can manage to say to Ezra.

" Good morning class. I hope you are prepared to recite a piece of Romeo and Juliet in front of your class. Does anyone wish to speak first?" Mrs. Harmaning asks.

I see Ezra's hand shoot up.

" Okay, Aria and Ezra you are up first." The teacher announces.

" What the heck Ezra." I whisper furiously.

" Calm down, the sooner we get this over with the better you'll feel. Trust me you will thank me later." He whispers back.

I manage to make my way to the front of the classroom. I am shaking so much that everyone probably thinks my legs are made of jello.

Ezra begins to recite his lines in a confident manner. He looks directly into my eyes and starts to say the words more genuinely. I feel the nerves slowly begin to leave my tense body. I start to speak directly from my soul. I say my lines to Ezra as if I really mean them, and at this particular moment I really do. When we finish the class breaks into a long series of applause. Ezra looks at me and smiles.

" I want you all to take note of the way they exposed their inner emotion to you all. I hope everyone is able to connect with their partner the way these two have." Mrs. Harmaning says to the class.

I blush hoping nobody can see the way I'm looking at Ezra right now.

" That wasn't so bad was it?" Ezra asks when we get back to our seats.

" No, not at all. Thank you." I say to Ezra.

Ezra's POV

My best friend Hardy and I enter the cafeteria. We walk over to the football table, and I take a seat next to one of my closest friends and teammates, Caleb Rivers.

" Hey man." I say to Caleb.

" Hey Ezra, what's up?" He asks.

" Not much, I just have this huge Biology test tomorrow." I reply.

Hardy and Caleb both roll their eyes.

" I mean what's up with you and Aria Montgomery." Caleb explains.

" What are you talking about? I hardly know the girl." I say.

" Maybe you should get to know her. You were practically undressing her with your eyes during English." Hardy tells me.

" It's called acting." I explain annoyed.

" Whatever you say." Caleb replies laughing.

After school (Still Ezra's POV)

I make my way to through the school library. Football practice doesn't start for another hour so I decide to start studying for my big Biology test. Aria is sitting alone at a table absorbed in her work.

" Mind if I sit here?" I ask and gesture towards the empty chair next to her.

" Not at all." She replies sweetly.

" What are you still doing here?" I ask her.

" Dance practice doesn't start for another hour." She answers.

" I totally forgot you were on the dance team." I comment.

" Really? We always practice on the track when football is going on." She reminds me.

" That's right, how could I forget." I say embarrassed.

Aria looks down at her phone and frowns.

" Hanna can't make it to practice today, she is my ride." Aria says.

" I can give you a ride if you'd like." I offer trying to redeem myself.

" That's okay I can walk." She says.

" Don't you live on Seachase? That's a long way for you to be walking alone at night." I tell her.

" Are you sure you don't mind?" Aria asks.

" Of corse not, just be ready to leave as soon as practice ends." I tell her.

" Okay, see you soon." She says and exits the library.

I make my way to the men's locker room and change. The first thing I notice when I step on the football field is how cute Aria looks in spandex. I can tell I'm going to have trouble focusing today at practice. Finally after about two hours, coach let's us go home. I see Aria waiting for me by the bleachers.

" Are you ready to go?" I ask her.

" Yes." She replies.

We sit in my old white truck silently.

" Are you going to my football game on Friday?" I ask breaking the silence.

" No." Aria replies.

" Why not?" I ask disappointed.

" I actually was planning on going. Noel asked me to go with him, so I made an excuse about why I couldn't go." She explains.

" Well maybe you'd want to go with me?" I ask nervously.

" I would love too, but what if Noel sees me?" Aria asks.

" Don't worry about him, I'll take all of the heat." I tell her.

" Okay, I'll go." She replies hesitantly.

" Awesome." Is all I can manage to say.

I see Aria's eyes darting down to the huge bruise on my leg.

" How did you get this." She asks pointing to my beaten up leg.

" Football." I lie nervously.

" My brother Mike plays on the freshman team, he never gets bruises like that." Aria tells me.

" The boys on Varsity are a lot bigger. People get these kinds of bruises all the time." I say hoping she will believe me.

" If you say so." She says skeptically.

We finally pull up to Aria's house.

" Should I walk you to the door?" I ask Aria.

" NO!" She replies.

I stare at her with a confused look on my face.

" I mean, maybe that's not such a good idea." Aria says more calmly.

" I'll see you tomorrow." I say as she leaves the car.

I glance out at the Montgomery's porch and gasp in shock at who I see standing there.

" Aria, come back!" I yell out terrified.


	4. What's going on?

Aria's POV

" Aria, come back!" I hear Ezra yell at me from his truck.

I see a man who I don't know standing on my porch. I stare at him for a moment and realize he looks familiar.

" Aria, please come back!" Ezra cries to me.

I sense fear in his voice, so I quickly run to the truck.

" Ezra what's wrong? Do you know who that man is?" I ask.

" That is my father." Ezra answers calmly.

" What is he doing at my house?" I ask.

Before Ezra can say anything I see my dad on the porch. I can see hatred and fear in his eyes. A second later the two men are screaming at each other.

" What's going on?" I ask nervously.

" I honestly don't know, but it's not safe for you to be here." Ezra warns.

" My mom is expecting me, what am I suppose to do?" I ask.

" Call her and tell her you're studying with a friend. I'll get you out of here." Ezra tells me.

I call my mom and tell her I'm studying with Spencer. Ezra speeds off of my street.

" Where are you taking me?" I ask nervously.

" I don't really know." He admits.

I stare out the window, and wonder if I should be trusting Ezra. My parents obviously want me to stay as far away from the Fitzes as possible. There has to be a reason for that.

" Are you hungry?" Ezra asks interrupting my thoughts.

" Starving." I reply.

Ezra pulls up to an old pizza parlor. I've seen it many times, but I've never took the time to eat there. We enter the rustic restaurant and sit in a booth in the corner.

" Why are we here?" I ask Ezra.

" What? Do you not like Italian?" He asks.

" I mean why is it so dangerous for me to be at home?" I question.

" Look, Aria, my dad isn't a good guy. We have never exactly gotten along. I panicked when I saw him and wanted you to stay as far away from him as possible." Ezra explains.

" I wonder what he was doing at my house." I think out loud.

" I don't know, we haven't spoken in months." Ezra confesses.

" Really? Where do you live?" I ask curiously.

" My buddy Hardy's family has an apartment near Hollis they never use. Hardy gave me a set of keys and told me I could use it when ever I wanted." He explains.

" Why don't you live at home?" I ask.

" Again, my father and I don't exactly get along." He replies.

" I don't think me family likes your family." I tell Ezra.

" I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't, a lot of people don't." He says.

" But I think there is something seriously wrong between them." I say.

" Why would you think that?" Ezra questions.

" Do you remember that afternoon in eight grade when we spoke on the black top?" I ask.

" Yes." Ezra answers.

" I got home half an hour late. When my parents asked me where I was, I told them I was talking to you. My father was furious and told me to never go near you. My mother looked terribly frightened." I explain.

" That's defiantly weird, did you see them yelling at each other tonight?" Ezra asks.

" Yeah, I've never seen my dad so mad." I tell Ezra.

" Why don't you get along with your dad?" I ask Ezra suddenly.

He looks down at his pizza and doesn't answer.

" I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that." I say apologetically.

" Don't be sorry, we just haven't seen things eye to eye since my parents got divorced." Ezra answers.

" If your parents are divorced, why don't you live with your mom?" I ask him.

" She just got up and left one morning. I haven't seen her since I was twelve." Ezra explains.

" I'm really sorry." I say.

He smiles sadly at me.

" Are you ready to go?" He asks.

" Yes, thank you so much for the pizza." I tell him.

" Don't mention it." He says.

Ezra drops me off in my front yard. As soon as I enter my house I hear my parents arguing.

" Believe me Ella, I don't want him anywhere near here." My dad yells.

" Hi honey, how was Spencer's?" My mom asks when she notices me.

" Fine I guess. What's going on here?" I ask worriedly.

" Nothing you need to worry about." My dad says and leaves the room.

" Mom, do you and Dad ever talk to the Fitzes?" I ask bravely.

" No never. Why would you ask that." My mom asks nervously.

" No reason." I answer.

" You haven't been talking to their son right?" My mom asks.

" No." I lie.

" Good, you can't trust him Aria." My mom says and storms out of the living room.

Ezra's POV

I sit on my couch and do homework. I can't get Aria Montgomery out of my head. I am starting to like her as much more than a friend. I wonder if what she said about our families not liking each other is true. I absent-mindedly walk over to a box of things I stole from my father's house. I grab his old high school yearbook and flip through the pages, I find the page my mother's picture is on. Sometimes I like to stare at it and pretend she is with me. I was devastated when she left me. Part of me hates her for what she did to me, the other part of me wishes she had taken me with her. I can't blame her for wanting to get away from my dad, he never treated her right. I leave the yearbook open and continue to study. The wind coming from my open window flips the book to the last page. The page is filled with signatures from my fathers classmates. Surprisingly, people seem to actually like him. I wonder when he became the cold hearted monster he is today. My eyes pop out of my head when I see one particular signature.

_High school is finally over bro! I've had such a great time with you these last four years. College is going to be awesome, I can't wait to party with you. I know we will be best friends for the rest of our lives._

_- Byron Montgomery_

Aria was wrong, our dads are best friends. Her dad said they were going to college together in his message. I quickly pull out my dad's college yearbook and flip to the signature pages. I can't find any signatures in this yearbook. I finally find one written in the lower left corner on the last page.

_I'll get you for what you have done. Stay away from Ella and I for as long as you live._

_ - Byron Montgomery_

I gasp in shock. Aria was right, her parents do hate my dad. I wonder what he had done to the Montgomery's. He probably hates them just as much as they hate him. If that's true, he will do whatever it takes to hurt them, even if that means doing something to hurt Aria. I should have told her about the kind of abusive man my father is, but the only person I've ever told is Hardy. A realization washes over me. If my father finds out Aria and I are friends, it will give him more of a reason to hurt her. He would be getting back at me for leaving, and at the Montgomery's for whatever he dislikes them for. Aria could be in serious danger, and hanging out with me isn't going to help her. I'll have to tell her never to speak with me again, no matter how much it's going to hurt.

**What do you all think? Please review and tell me. I hope you all have a nice weekend :).**


	5. Broken Hearted

Ezra's POV

I wake up to a loud knocking on my apartment door. I groan and drag myself out of bed. The old woman who lives next door always looses her keys, and I keep an extra pair for her. Assuming that's who is waking me up at ungodly hours, I open my door.

" Dad, what are you doing here?" I ask nervously.

" It's nice to see you Ezra." He responds avoiding my question.

" What do you want?" I ask angrily.

" All I want is to have a friendly conversation with you." He answers.

" Come on inside." I say defeated.

My dad walks into my apartment and takes a coke out of my refrigerator. We just stare awkwardly at each other for a couple of minutes.

Finally he break the silence by saying, " One of my good friends from high school has a daughter in your grade."

" Friends?" I ask.

" Why is that so hard too believe." He asks.

I just roll my eyes and look away.

" Her last name is Montgomery, I think her first name is Aria or something like that." He says.

" Why are you telling me this?" I ask.

" I don't know, I thought maybe you were friends." He explains.

" We aren't, I hardly know the girl." I lie.

" Maybe you should hang out with her more, I can take you two out to dinner." He says with a sinister grin.

" I'm really busy." I say.

" Listen to me Ezra, I want you to find out as much as you can about that girl." My dad says.

" That's kind of creepy." I say annoyed.

" Don't get smart with me, this is important." He replies sharply.

" I thought you and her dad were friends, if you need to know something about her ask him." I say.

" We aren't actually friends, I only said that to get your attention." He explains.

" So why do you care about Aria?" I question.

" Because her father and I are the opposite of friends, we hate each other." He says.

" You're going to take that out on an innocent girl?" I ask furiously.

" Stop being so dramatic." My dad replies.

" What are you planning on doing to her?" I ask.

" Nothing, I just thought if I got some dirt on her I could hurt her father." My dad says.

" Oh." I say relieved.

" Can you help me do that?" He asks.

If I say no, he might figure out we are friends. That would give him a reason to hurt her even more. If I agree, maybe I can keep my dad away from Aria.

" Of corse." I reply hesitantly.

" That's my boy." He says and ruffles my hair.

" I need to get ready for school." I say.

" I'll see you later." He says and leaves my apartment.

I sigh to myself. There is no way Aria and I can continue hanging out. I have no idea how to tell her.

Later that afternoon ( Still Ezra's POV)

School just got out and Hardy and I are meeting in the parking lot before football.

" Hey Ezra what's up?" Hardy asks he walks up to me.

" I need your help." I say.

" Is that why you wanted to meet me in the middle of no where?" He teases.

" This is really serious." I snap.

" What's wrong?" He asks worriedly.

" You know how Aria and were English partners? We have been talking a lot lately outside of class." I start to explain.

" I knew you liked her!" Hardy says triumphantly.

" No, that's not the point!" I say irritated.

" So you don't like her." He asks confused.

" I like her a lot, but it's more complicated than that." I say.

" Does she not like you?" Hardy asks.

" Stop with the liking thing! She could be in danger!" I yell angrily.

" What are you talking about." He asks concerned.

" Last night after football I gave Aria a ride home. Of all people, my father was standing on her driveway. Him and Aria's dad were yelling furiously at each other. I panicked and took Aria out for pizza." I say.

" So?" Hardy asks.

" She told me her family hates my family. After I took her home I went through my dad's old year books, there was a message from Mr. Montgomery saying to stay away from him. This morning my dad came to my apartment and started to ask all kinds of questions about Aria. He wants to get information on her that could hurt her dad." I say quickly.

" Wow!" Hardy replies

" I told my dad I would help him get information on her." I say guiltily.

" Why the heck would you do that? Hardy asks angrily.

" So he doesn't go looking for it himself." I explain.

" If your dad wants to hurt her, he will do it without any hesitation." Hardy tells me.

" He doesn't want to hurt her, he wants information." I explain.

" Do you really believe that?" Hardy asks skeptically.

" No!" I say and bury my head in my arms.

" If he knows you're friends he really will want to hurt her." Hardy reminds me.

" I know, that's why I need to make her stay away from me." I say.

" How are you going to do that?" He asks.

" I have a plan, and your going to help me." I say.

Aria's POV

Dance practice is finally over! The football boys are still doing sprints, I want to tell Ezra about what happened last night with my mom. I wait by the bleachers until they finally finish their sprints.

" Hey Ezra." I call out to him.

He walks by without even acknowledging me. I run up and tap him on the shoulder.

" What do you want Aria?" He asks rudely.

" I just need to talk to you." I say defensively.

" Sorry, I've got to get going." He says and keeps walking.

I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. Did I do something to upset Ezra last night?

" Aria, can we talk?" I hear Ezra's best friend Hardy ask me.

" Sure?" I reply confused.

" You seem like a really sweet girl, and I don't want you getting hurt." Hardy tells me.

" What are you talking about?" I ask even more confused.

" Look Aria, Ezra and Noel hate each other. Ezra knows Noel likes you, he will do anything to bother him." Hardy explains.

" So?" I ask.

" Ezra is only hanging out with you so you'll sleep with him. Again, he wants to get a reaction out of Noel." Hardy tells me.

" Oh." Is all I can manage to say.

Tears begin to pour out of my eyes.

"I'm so sorry." Hardy says apologetically.

" It's okay." I say sobbing.

" Can I give you a ride home or something?" He asks.

" No thank you." I reply.

" Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." Hardy says and walks away.

I stand on the dark and empty field crying. I run to my car and drive home.

" Hi Aria." My dad says when I enter the house.

I ignore him and walk to my room.

Ella's POV

" Ella do you know if everything is okay with Aria?" Byron asks me worriedly.

" Why wouldn't she be okay?" I ask concerned.

" She completely ignored me when she got home from dance, and her eyes were red like she had been crying." Byron tells me.

" That doesn't sound like Aria. I'll go check on her." I say and leave our living room.

I can hear Aria crying from outside of her room.

I knock on her door and ask, " Can I come in."

" No, I'm doing homework." She says with her voice shaking.

" What do you want for dinner." I ask her.

" I'm not hungry." She replies sadly.

I completely ignore my daughters wishes and enter her room.

" Mom, go away!" She yells angrily.

" I'm not going anywhere, until you tell me why you're so upset." I tell Aria.

" I'm not upset." She replies.

" Did something happen with one of your friends?" I ask.

Aria shakes her head.

" Is this about a boy?" I question.

Aria begins to sob hysterically.

" Sh-sh it's okay." I tell her gently.

I wrap my arms around her shaking body.

" What happened?" I ask more worried than I was before.

" I don't want to talk about it." She says.

" If you don't tell me what's wrong, there isn't anything I can do to help you." I tell her.

" There is this boy that I have been hanging out with. I was really starting to like him, and I thought he liked me. I found out he was only being nice to me so he could sleep with me, and upset a boy who likes me." She tells me.

" Oh Aria." Is all I can manage to say.

" Mommy." She says and cries into my shoulder.

" You didn't sleep with him did you?" I ask terrified.

" No." Aria replies.

" Thank God." I say out loud.

" I know." Aria says.

" Who is the boy?" I ask curiously.

" Ezra Fitz." She answers.

**What do you think? I know there wasn't any Ezria fluff, but I had to add some drama. I really care about your opinions , so please review.**


	6. Not a Good Guy

Aria's POV

" Who is the boy?" My moms asks curiously.

" Ezra Fitz." I mumble through my tears.

My mother gasps in shock, unable to speak.

" What's wrong?" I ask worriedly.

" Aria, I told you never to go near that boy! Do you realize what you could have gotten yourself into?" She asks furiously.

" I know it was stupid, he just seemed so sweet." I explain.

" Promise me you will never talk to Ezra again." My mom demands.

" Okay, I promise." I say.

My mom wraps me in her arms for a hug.

" You're not the first person to fall for those blue eyes." My mom says and leaves my room.

Line Break

Hanna, Spencer, and Emily gather around my closet searching for the perfect outfit for me to wear to the football game.

" What about this?" Hanna asks as she pulls a casual dress out of my closet.

" I already told you that I don't want to go." I say from my bed.

" Are you seriously going to let Ezra Fitz ruin your night?" Spencer asks annoyed.

" You can't give him that kind of power over you." Emily tells me.

" This isn't about Ezra. I'm just really tired." I lie.

" Come on Aria, it will be fun! Plus I know a guy who has a huge crush on you." Hanna says in a sing song voice.

" Who?" I ask curiously.

" Noel Kahn." Hanna says excitedly.

Spencer rolls her eyes.

" What do you have against Noel?" Hanna asks Spencer.

" I just get a bad vibe from the guy." Spencer responds.

" Who cares what Spencer thinks, what do you think Aria?" Emily asks curiously.

" I think Noel seems a little immature." I answer honestly.

" What? He is like the coolest boy in our grade!" Hanna protests.

" Why don't you just go out with him Hanna?" Spencer asks sarcastically.

" I would if I didn't like somebody else." Hanna teases.

" Who is it?" Emily asks excitedly.

" Caleb Rivers." She responds.

I nearly choke on my water when she says this.

" What?" Hanna asks worriedly.

" He is one of Ezra's best friends." I explain.

" If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll forget about him." Hanna promises.

" Are you going to forget about Ezra and get out of your room?" Spencer asks.

" I don't know." I reply hesitantly.

All of the sudden Hanna's eyes light up.

" I know what you can do to get on Ezra's nerves." Hanna says excitedly.

" What?" I ask.

" Why not pretend you have the hots for Noel? That would really upset Ezra." Hanna tells me.

I smile to myself, Hanna's idea is brilliant.

Line Break

Rosewood won the football game by one field goal. To my dismay, Ezra scored the wining touchdown. I see Noel approach my friends and me.

" I thought you couldn't come tonight." Noel says confused.

" I changed my mind, great game." I say sweetly.

" Thanks. I'm throwing a huge party at my lake house, do you girls want to come?" Noel asks.

" Sure." I reply.

" I can give you a ride." Noel offers.

" I'll drive Emily and Spencer, Aria you go with Noel." Hanna says and winks at me.

I sit in Noel's Mercedes silently. The drive up to his lake house is very awkward, I hate the way Noel stares at me.

When we finally pull up to the Kahn's lake house, I see Ezra's truck in the parking lot. A large group of flirtatious girls surround Ezra. He just stands there and does his famous boyish smile. What a jerk. Ezra and I meet eyes at the same time. Noel realizes this and grabs my hand possessively. I turn away from Ezra and enter the lake house.

Ezra's POV

My heart breaks when I see Aria and Noel together. He doesn't deserve Aria. Noel will probably take advantage of her and move on to the next girl on his list. Because of Aria's trusting nature, she is probably oblivious to his motives. My thoughts are interrupted when I hear Mona Vanderwall call out to me.

" Ezra, which girl in Rosewood has the sexiest legs?" She asks.

" I don't know." I say staring at Aria worriedly.

" Everyone knows that I do." Riley Wolf says concededly.

"I've got to go." I say suddenly.

" Why?" Mona asks annoyed.

" I just need to check on something in the house, I'll be back soon." I lie.

I finally manage to escape those obnoxious girls and make my way into the party area. I see Noel hand Aria a drink, and kiss her on the lips.

" I'll be right back." Noel tells Aria.

" Can we talk?" I ask Aria.

" No need for that, Hardy already explained everything." She says cooly.

" Aria, it's not what is looks like. Please let me explain." I beg.

" Whatever." Aria says and rolls her eyes.

" I wouldn't drink that, or anything else Noel gives you." I warn Aria.

" Why not?" She asks.

" Aria, Noel isn't a good guy." I try to explain.

" Like you're any better." She says and walks away sipping the beer.

Aria's POV

I sit around the bonfire with a large group of eleventh graders. I'm to absorbed in my own thoughts to engage in the conversation. I can't believe what a jerk Ezra is. He breaks my heart and then pretends to be worried about me. My thoughts are interrupted when I hear Sean Ackard start to tell Noel a story about the time him and Hanna went skiing together. All of the sudden I feel dizzy and tired. This is strange, considering I had so little to drink. I lean up against Noel for support.

" You okay Aria?" He asks in a concerned voice.

" I just got kind of dizzy." I explain.

" Come with me, I'll take you to my room so you can lie down for a little while." He offers.

" That's okay. I need to find Hanna, she is my ride home." I protest.

" I know exactly where she is. I'll take you to her." Noel says.

" Okay." I agree because I'm to weak to argue.

Noel leads me down an isolated hallway. The more steps I take, the more dizzy I become. Noel realizes my struggle and picks me up, so he can carry me down the hallway. The conversation I had with Ezra suddenly flows through my mind. I finally realize exactly what's going on. Ezra was right, Noel isn't a good guy. I shouldn't have had the beer he offered me.

" N- Noel, where are we going?" I ask terrified.

" Sh-sh." He tells me quietly.

" Can you please put me down?" I ask nervously.

Noel doesn't respond to my question, he just keeps walking forward. I am much to out of it to do anything. It isn't long before my eyes close, and everything goes black.

**Hello everyone! I hope all is going well. What do you think is going to happen to Aria? Please review and give me feedback so I can continue to improve as a writer. Thank you all for reading!**


	7. Trust

Ezra's POV

" Hey Ezra, can you grab the cups?" I hear Hardy call out to me.

" Sure." I say and walk over to the Kahn's cabinet.

As soon as I open the cabinet, a bottle of sleeping drugs falls out. My mind immediately goes to Aria. If Noel is the person using these, Aria would be the person he drugged. Panic begins to overtake my body.

" I've got to go." I call out to Hardy and sprint out of the room.

I see Hanna sitting at a bonfire with Sean, unfortunately Aria isn't with her.

" Hanna, come with me now." I whisper to her.

She just rolls her eyes at me, and wraps her arms around Sean.

" I think Aria is in danger." I warn.

Hanna immediately bolts out of her seat and drags me into the corner of the room.

" Why do you think she is in danger?" She asks worriedly.

" She has been hanging around Noel all night, and I found a bottle of sleeping pills in his cabinet." I explain.

" Oh my gosh! She was feeling dizzy earlier, and Noel took her to his room so she could lie down." Hanna says with tears in her eyes.

" I'll be right back." I say and sprint up the stairs.

I finally find Noel's room, and barge right in. Noel's face falls when he sees me standing there. He immediately drops the scissors he had been using to cut Aria's dress off of her lifeless body.

" What are you doing here?" Noel asks nervously.

" I think the better question is what is Aria doing here?" I say furiously.

" She was so drunk that she couldn't stand. I thought I would do the right thing and let her sleep in here." He says defensively.

" Really? Then why is her dress cut up? And why did I find these in your cabinet?" I say and pull the sleeping pills out of my pocket.

Noel stands there in shock, unable to speak.

" You can get in so much trouble for this. If Aria tells her parents what you tried doing to her, they will sue you." I say to Noel.

" If you keep your big mouth shut, I'll let you have her for the night." Noel offers.

" How do you even look at yourself Noel?" I ask angrily.

" Actually tell who ever you want, it's my word against yours. We both know who people will believe." Noel says with a sinister grin.

Noel reminds me so much of my father. Unable to control my anger, I punch Noel as hard as I can in the jaw. I continue to hit him until he flees. I run over to Aria's lifeless body and cover her with my football jacket. Stupid Noel cut her a couple of times when he was taking off her dress. He was taking the dress off when I walked into the room, so I'm assuming he didn't take advantage of her. I carry Aria down the stairs, avoiding the rooms where people are partying. I place Aria in the back of my truck, and put an old blanket over her so she doesn't get sick. Lastly, I call Hanna.

" Did you find her?" Hanna asks nervously.

" Yes, I have her with me. Come out to the parking lot, I'm waiting by my truck." I say and hang up the phone.

Less than a minute later Hanna, Spencer, and Emily approach me.

" Where is she?" Hanna asks.

" Passed out in the back of my truck." I tell her.

" Did Noel take advantage of her?" Emily asks nervously.

" I don't think so, her dress was still partially on when I found them." I explain.

The girls let out a long sigh of relief.

" I'm confused, when exactly did you start caring about Aria?" Spencer asks.

"I always have." I say.

" Really? Because the last time I checked, you were the person trying to take advantage of her." Spencer says angrily.

" I told Hardy to tell Aria that. It was a lie to keep Aria away from me." I explain.

"Why would you want to keep Aria away from you if you care about her?" Hanna asks confused.

" Our parents hate each other. My dad isn't a good guy, and if he knew Aria and I were friends he would hurt her." I explain.

" You should have told her that. Aria has been heartbroken since you told that lie." Emily tells me.

" Those honestly were not my intentions." I say sadly.

" Let's focus on something that matters." Spencer says annoyed.

" Right, should I drive Aria home?" I ask.

" Then you would need to tell her parents why she is unconscious. We shouldn't tell them anything until we speak to Aria." Emily argues.

" Mrs. Montgomery thinks Aria is sleeping over at my house. If my mom sees her, she will ask questions." Hanna says.

" She can stay in my apartment, I'll sleep on the couch." I suggest.

" Well considering we don't have any other options that will have to work. But just know that if you do anything to hurt Aria, I'll take away your nuts." Spencer tells me.

" I'll drive Aria to your house in the morning." I say to Hanna.

" See you then Fitz." Hanna says as the girls walk away.

Line break

I place Aria in my warm bed. My football jacket still covers her lifeless body. She looks so beautiful and peaceful. Unable to stop myself, I bend over and kiss her.

" Good night Aria." I whisper as I walk over to my couch.

Aria's POV

I wake up in a foreign bed, wearing a boy's football jacket. Recollecting the details of last night, I begin to sob. Could this be Noel Kahn's room?

" It's okay Aria, your safe." A gentile voice tells me.

I look up just in time to see Ezra Fitz approach me.

" Get away from me." I cry out to him.

" I'm not going to hurt you." He assures me.

" Noel told me the same thing last night, are you two working together?" I ask furiously.

" Of corse not. I walked in on him about to rape you! I warned you that this was going to happen." He reminds me.

" Why do all guys have to be such jerks?" I ask frustrated.

" You think I'm a jerk?" Ezra asks with a hurt look on his face.

" If what Hardy told me was true, then yes." I tell him.

" I told him to tell you that Aria, it was important for you to stay away from me." He explains.

" Why?" I ask confused.

" I was going through some of my father's old year books and I saw some messages from your dad. I put two and two together and figured out that in high school our dads were best friends. Something happened between them in college and now they hate each other." Ezra explains.

" So you hate me because of my family?" I ask.

" No! I really like you Aria. But my dad is a bad man, he will do anything to hurt the people he doesn't like. He came over and asked about you one morning. He basically told me he wanted to hurt you to get revenge on your father. If he knew we were friends, he would want to hurt you more." Ezra tells me.

" Do you remember that afternoon in eight grade on the black top?" I ask Ezra.

" Yes, and I'm mortified that you do." He jokes.

" When I got home that day I told my dad that I was with you. He freaked out and made me promise never speak to you again." I tell Ezra.

" It makes sense, he probably knows what kind of man my father is." Ezra responds.

" That's not all. The other day my mom found out we were hanging out, and she was furious." I say to Ezra.

" Wow, this is worse than I thought." Ezra says.

" What is your dad going to do to me?" I ask nervously.

" I won't let him do anything, but you need to stay away from me." Ezra says seriously.

" I can't." I say.

" Why?" He asks confused.

" Because I really like you." I say and pull him in for a long kiss.

He finally pulls away and says, " I thought all guys were jerks."

" You're not a jerk. You were so sweet last night, and I was a total brat. The only reason I even consider hanging out with Noel was because I thought it would hurt you." I say and begin to cry.

" It's okay. I shouldn't have lied to you." Ezra says comforting me.

" You're right." I tease.

" Seriously Aria you need to stay away from me." Ezra demands.

" We can make this work Ezra, nobody needs to know about us." I tell him.

" I'm putting you in danger." He warns.

" I trust you." I say and wrap my arms around him.

" Maybe a little too much." Ezra says before he pulls me in for a long kiss.

**What do you all thing? Review!**


	8. The Breaking Point

Aria's POV

" I just called Hanna and told her that I am spending the afternoon here." I tell Ezra as I walk over to the couch.

" Good, because if Spencer thinks I'm hurting you she will take away my nuts." Ezra says causing me to giggle.

" Aria, you're avoiding a very big problem." Ezra says suddenly.

" What?" I ask confused.

" What are you going to do about Noel?" Ezra asks me seriously.

I sigh not wanting to think about it.

" I can't tell my parents." I decide.

" You have to Aria, if you don't he might try to hurt you again." Ezra tells me.

" Then I would have to tell them about us, I can't let them keep me away from you." I say sadly.

" You're right, if we tell your parents about us they might go to my dad." Ezra agrees.

" I'll just stay as far away from Noel as I can." I say.

" If he tries to hurt you again we need to go to your parents." Ezra says.

" Why do you always have to be so practical?" I ask.

" Because I care about you and I don't want you getting hurt." He responds.

" Thank you." I say as I cuddle up to him.

" If we want this to work nobody can know about us." Ezra says.

" I promise I won't tell anyone." I agree.

" Good. Do you want to watch a movie?" Ezra asks.

" Sure." I say.

I fall asleep in Ezra's strong arms before the movie even starts.

Line Break

After I spend a couple of hours with Ezra, I drive over to Hanna's house. When I get there Hanna, Spencer, and Emily are sitting in the living room waiting for me.

" Are you okay Aria?" Hanna asks with tears in her eyes.

" I'm fine thanks to Ezra. Why are you crying?" I ask concerned.

" Because this is all my fault! If I hadn't set you up with Noel, none of this would have happened." Hanna explains.

" He had all of us fooled Hanna. I was the one stupid enough to drink the beer he gave me." I remind her.

" We just feel badly that Noel almost hurt some one that we love so much." Spencer says tearing up.

" He didn't hurt me, and I love you girls too." I say pulling them in for a group hug.

" So what happened this morning with Ezra?" Emily asks me curiously.

Should I tell them about Ezra? It's not safe for either of us and I promised him that I would keep our relationship a secret.

" Nothing much. I thanked him for saving me from being raped and we reconciled." I say.

" Are you two together now?" Spencer asks.

" No. We decided that it would be to difficult to have a serious relationship with all of the drama between our families." I say looking down.

" He seems to really care about you." Spencer says.

" That's why he doesn't want to start anything." I lie.

" Why were you at his apartment so long?" Hanna questions.

" We just had some stuff to talk over." I say being honest.

" Since everything it's okay between you two, would you be upset if I went for Caleb?" Hanna asks tentatively.

" Hanna!" Spencer says annoyed.

" It's fine, really." I say to Hanna.

" As long as you don't mind." Hanna says happily.

Guilt fills my body. I can't believe I'm lying to my three best friends in the world. I guess what they don't know isn't going to hurt them, but them knowing the truth might put all of us in danger.

Line Break

I sit in my room and write in my journal, this always helps me clear my mind. I look up as my mother enters my bedroom.

" Hey Aria." She says as she walks over to me.

" Hey mom." I say trying to avoid eye contact.

" How was the party last night?" She asks.

" It was good." I lie.

" Mike told me you were hanging out with Noel Kahn." My mom says.

" I was for a little while." I respond.

" I'm glad you're moving on from Ezra Fitz." She tells me.

I just smile at her guiltily.

" Mom, wait!" I call out before she leaves the room.

" What?" She asks.

" What happened between Dad and Mr. Fitz?" I ask bravely.

" What did that boy tell you?" My mom asks angrily.

" Nothing." I say defensively.

" Good, stay away from him Aria." She says seriously.

" I don't think Ezra is as bad as we think." I tell my mom.

" Did you forget that he wanted to take advantage of you Aria?" She asks me angrily.

" No, but I think there might be more to the story." I say trying to defend Ezra.

" Or it might be just what it looks like, and if he is anything like his father then it's worse." My mom tells me.

" He isn't like his father Mom." I say angrily.

" How do you know that Aria?" She asks.

" I just do okay!" I shout angrily.

" I know you think that Ezra is a sweet kid, but if you are still secretly seeing him you're putting yourself in danger." My mother warns.

" We haven't talked since the other night. I just don't think you should judge Ezra because of what happened between our families. I say frustrated.

" Even if Ezra is a good guy, his father isn't. It's my job to make sure you don't get hurt Aria." My mother tells me.

" Okay, I'll stay away from him." I lie.

" Good." My mom says as she kisses my forehead.

Ella's POV

I look at my little girl and sigh, I can't let the Fitzes do anything to her. At first I didn't want to tell my husband about Aria's involvement with Ezra, but she obviously isn't listening to anything I say.

" Byron, we need to talk." I say as I enter our bedroom.

" What's wrong." Byron asks me nervously.

" Do you remember the other night when Aria came home crying after dance?" I ask nervously.

" Yeah, I thought you took care of it." He says getting worried.

" I thought I did, but the problem still exists." I explain.

" What's wrong with Aria?" He asks nervously.

" She was in a relationship with Ezra Fitz." I tell him.

" What did he do to her?" Byron asks furiously.

" He was trying to take advantage of her." I say quietly.

" What!" Byron shouts angrily.

" Yeah. I thought that when Aria figured this out she realized that the Fitzes can't be trusted, but tonight when I asked her about Ezra she told me is a good guy." I explain to Byron.

" Is she still seeing him?" Byron asks seriously.

" Aria tells me she isn't, but I'm not so sure I believe her." I say.

Byron gets out of bed and puts on his coat.

" Where are you going?" I ask nervously.

" To teach Robert Fitz a lesson about messing with our daughter." He says furiously.

" Byron Wait!" I shout, but I'm to late to stop him.

Ezra's POV

I have never felt so happy and so scared at the same time. I finally have Aria, the girl whom I have wanted for such a long time. She is so sweet and innocent, which makes me feel even more guilty about putting her in such a dangerous position. The buzzing of my phone interrupts my thoughts. I check the caller I.D. and see my dad is the person calling me.

" Hey Ezra." My Dad says as I pick up the phone.

" Hey." I say cooly.

" Have you found anything out about Aria Montgomery?" He asks aggressively.

" No." I lie.

" You have to know something. Does she have a boyfriend? What sports does she play?" My dad asks.

" Stop." I say angrily.

" What?" He asks confused.

" I'm done talking to you about Aria. If you do anything to hurt her I'm going straight to the police." I say bravely.

" You wouldn't dare." My dad says furiously.

" Try me." I reply.

" What's going on between you two?" My dad asks.

" Nothing, I'm just done watching you hurt other people." I say furiously and hang up the phone.

Tears begin to roll down my face, I'm scared for Aria and for myself. I can't let my dad hurt me anymore, and I certainly can't let him do anything to Aria. I pick up my phone and call Aria.

" Hey Aria." I say when she picks up.

" Hey, what's up?" Aria questions.

" Can you meet me?" I ask.

" Tonight?" She asks confused.

" Yeah." I reply.

" I don't know if that's a good idea. It's late and my mom's furious with me." Aria tells me.

" Why?" I ask.

" We got into a fight about you." She says sadly.

" What did you tell her?" I ask nervously.

" That I didn't think you were a bad guy. She kind of freaked out." She admits.

" Please meet me. I'll pick you up outside of your house." I beg.

" Tomorrow's Sunday, we can spend the entire day together." She protests.

" Please Aria, I don't think you're safe." I plead.

" Why?" She asks nervously.

" It's a long story. Get ready, I'm picking you up." I say not giving her a chance to argue.

" Okay." She says defeated.

I grab my coat and head out the door. Aria and I have a lot of questions that need to be answered.

**What did you all think? What happened between the Montgomery's and the Fitzes? Please review!**


	9. Secret Lovers

Byron's POV

I walk up to Robert Fitz's house and knock on his door persistently. After a moment of waiting, he finally answers the door.

" Byron, what are you doing here?" Robert asks confused.

" I know what you are trying to do to my daughter." I say angrily.

" I have no idea what you're talking about." He tells me.

" I'm talking about you using your son to get close to my daughter." I yell furiously.

" My son wouldn't waste his time with that girl of yours." Robert says equally as angry.

" Really? Because they were in a relationship." I tell him.

" Maybe Ezra sees what I saw in Ella years ago, they do look a lot alike." Robert says smirking at me.

" And maybe Aria trusts Ezra like I trusted you." I snap.

" Like father like daughter." He says smiling.

" If you or your son do anything to hurt Aria I will ruin you." I scream unable to control my temper.

A scared look washes over Robert's face.

" Where is your son?" I ask persistently.

" He moved out last year. Ezra lives in an old apartment near Hollis." Robert tells me.

I start to walk out before Robert stops me.

" By the way Byron, I don't blame you for not wanting my son near your daughter. He is a good for nothing loser." Roberts tells me.

" I respect him a lot more if that's what you think of him." I say before going to my car.

Aria's POV

My brother is sleeping over at his friend's house, so I sneak out of the window in his room. I left a note for my parents saying that I went to Spencer's house for a last minute sleepover. As soon as a get out to my driveway, I see my father's car pull up. I hide behind a large pine tree praying that he doesn't catch me. I step on a large pine cone, making a loud crunching noise. My dad jerks his head my direction, causing my body to go completely numb. He doesn't see me, so he walks into our house. What was my dad doing going out so late? After waiting outside for a couple of minutes, I see Ezra's old truck pull up. I sprint to the car as quickly as I can.

" Thanks for meeting me." Ezra says as I get into his car.

" No problem. Now would you please tell me why it was so important for us to get together tonight?" I ask curiously.

" I messed up Aria." He says guiltily.

" What are you talking about?" I ask confused.

" Do you remember when I told you about my dad wanting to hurt you to get to your father?" He asks.

" Yes." I say nervously.

" After we became friends, he asked me to get as much information on you as I could." Ezra admits.

" Did you tell him anything?" I ask feeling betrayed.

" No, but I told him I would tell him anything that I found out about you." Ezra says.

" So you were pretending to like me to help your father." I say trying to fight back tears.

" No, I haven't told him anything. I only told him that so he wouldn't figure out we were friends." Ezra explains.

" Then what's the problem?" I ask confused.

" Earlier tonight my father called me to get information on you. I snapped and told him to stay away from you or I would call the police." Ezra tells me.

" Why is that bad? You were only trying to protect me." I tell him.

" I did the opposite of protecting you Aria. He is probably going to go after you for real to hurt me." Ezra explains.

" He can't be that bad." I say trying to comfort Ezra.

" He is worse than bad, he is downright terrible." Ezra says seriously.

I look at Ezra with scared eyes.

" I didn't tell you the real reason my mother and I moved out, my dad drinks a lot Aria. When he gets drunk, he gets angry. He use to hit me, and when my mother moved out it got a lot worse." Ezra says tearing up.

" I'm so sorry." I say as I rub his back gently.

" No I'm sorry, He isn't going to hesitate when it comes to hurting you." Ezra says sadly.

" I think my mom knows we are seeing each other. Do you think she would talk to your dad?" I ask nervously.

" I don't know." Ezra admits.

" Where are we going?" I ask when we drive past his apartment.

" My dad knows where I live, it isn't safe for us to be at my apartment tonight. I booked us a motel room just outside of Rosewood." Ezra explains.

We drive in silence for about half an hour. Finally, we pull up to The Lost Woods Resort.

" Are you Ian Harding." The man at the front desk asks Ezra.

" Yes." He says as I shoot him a confused look.

" You're in room one." The man tells us.

I burst into laughter when Ezra and I enter our room.

" I can't believe you gave him a fake name." I say still laughing.

" I'm just trying to be safe." Ezra replies chuckling.

" Okay Ian." I joke.

" You take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch." Ezra says politely.

" No, I want you next to me." I argue.

" You can sleep in my shirt." Ezra says.

I am in awe when Ezra takes of his shirt, revealing his perfectly sculpted abs.

" Thank you." I say as I walk into the bathroom to change.

When I come back Ezra is already in bed reading.

" How can you afford to live on your own?" I ask as I get into the warm bed.

" I tutor a lot of the kids at our old elementary school. I make enough money to pay for most of the things I need." Ezra tells me.

" That's great." I tell him.

" The only way I can afford to go to college is if I get a football scholarship, that's why I practice so much." Ezra says.

" You should talk to my dad, he knows the head coach at Hollis." I say.

" Do you really think that's a good idea?" He teases.

" I forgot." I say awkwardly.

" Go to sleep Aria." Ezra says as he wraps his arms around me protectively.

" I'm scared Ezra." I admit.

" Don't be, I won't let my dad hurt you." He tells me gently.

" I know you won't. I'm scared that my parents will keep my away from you." I say sadly.

" I won't let that happen. I love you Aria." Ezra says timidly.

" I love you too." I say and kiss him passionately.

Within minutes I am sleeping soundly in Ezra's strong arms.

**What did you think? Please please please review!**


	10. Derek Black

Ezra's POV

I wake up to the most beautiful girl in the world sleeping soundly in my arms. Aria's hazel eyes flutter open when I gently kiss her forehead.

" How did you sleep?" I ask Aria.

" Great." Aria says as she snuggles up to me.

" Where do your parents think you are?" I ask Aria.

" With Spencer." She replies.

" Good." I say.

" Ezra what are we going to do?" Aria asks me worriedly.

" I think we need to find out what happened between our parents." I decide.

" How are we going to do that? You obviously can't talk to your dad, and every time I mention the name " Fitz" my mom acts as though she is having a nervous breakdown." Aria reminds me.

" Maybe you have been talking to the wrong person." I tell her.

" You think I should talk to my dad?" Aria asks me as if I'm crazy.

" Of course not! But maybe our dads have some mutual friends from high school that would know what happened between them." I explain.

" Ezra you're a genius!" Aria tells me excitedly.

" I wouldn't go that far." I say as my cheeks turn red.

" How can we find someone who will help us?" Aria asks.

" I have my dad's old high school yearbook, maybe we can look through it and see what we find." I suggest.

" Good idea." Aria says.

Line break

After leaving The Lost Woods Resort, Aria and I drove straight to my apartment. We are going through some of my boxes trying to find the old yearbook.

" I think I found it!" Aria exclaims as she pulls out the yearbook.

" Where should we look first?" I ask Aria.

" Let's just skim through it until we find something." Aria suggests.

We move over to my couch and open the yearbook. It immediately opens to the senior page.

" That's my mom." Aria says as she points to the picture.

" She looks just like you." I say.

" There's your dad." Aria says as she points to his picture.

My dad looked just like me when he was in high school. This makes me very uneasy, what if I grow up and become just like him? Aria immediately senses my tension and kisses my cheek.

" You're nothing like him." She assures me.

" How do you know?" I ask not convinced.

" Because you're sweet and gentile. You would never hurt anyone." Aria tells me.

" I hurt you." I say referring to the time I made Hardy convince her that our friendship wasn't real.

" That was to protect me. Some times people's intentions speak louder than their actions." Aria argues.

" I guess." I say as Aria flips the page.

The next page has a picture of my dad, Aria's dad, and a boy named Derek Black standing next to each other smiling in baseball jerseys.

" Who is Derek Black?" Aria asks me curiously.

" I have no idea." I reply.

" Let's see if he wrote your dad a message." Aria suggests.

" He wrote my dad a message!" I say when we see his signature in the yearbook.

_Hey Robert! Thanks for being a great friend and teammate these last four years! I'm really sorry about everything that you went through these last couple of months. I hope you and Byron have fun in college! _

_- Derek Black_

" What happened to your dad in high school?" Aria asks confused.

" I don't know, he doesn't talk to me about theses kinds of things." I respond.

" We need to contact this Derek Black guy. It seems like he was friends with both of our dads, he probably knows what caused this hatred between our families!" Aria tells me.

" It's not that simple Aria. We know nothing about this man, how are we suppose to contact him?" I ask.

" Let's look him up on Facebook!" Aria suggests.

" Okay." I say reluctantly as I hand Aria my laptop.

" He lives in Philadelphia! Maybe we can drive up there and meet him sometime!" Aria says excitedly.

" Is his contact information on his profile?" I ask.

" Yes, his phone number and email." Aria tells me.

" Good. I'll call him now." I say to Aria.

I pick up the phone and dial his number. Aria holds my hand nervously as we wait to see if Derek will answer.

" Hello?" A voice says to us over the phone.

Ella's POV

Byron and I sit in the living room together. Mike and Aria are both at a friend's house, so we have the afternoon to ourselves.

" Wine?" Byron offers.

I nod as he fills my glass. I don't usually drink this early, but with everything that's going on with the Fitzes I need something to relieve my stress.

" Please tell me again what Robert said to you last night." I beg my husband.

" I already told you, he had no idea that our kids were seeing each other." Byron reminds me.

" Do you really believe that?" I ask.

" Yes. Robert Fitz is a lot of things, but he isn't a liar." Byron replies.

" You know him better than I do." I say.

" Are you afraid?" Byron asks me gently.

" Afraid for myself? No. Afraid for our daughter? Most definitely." I admit.

" I won't let him do anything to her or you." Byron says to me.

" You and I both know what he is capable of." I remind my husband.

" I'll take care of it." Byron says as he pulls me closer to him.

" I think you should talk to this Ezra kid." I say.

" That would put Robert on the defensive. What good would that do? Byron argues.

" Yeah, I guess you're right." I say defeated.

" I could talk to Aria." Byron suggests.

" That's a great idea! She doesn't listen to anything I say, and girls have a special bond with their fathers." I tell Byron.

" I just don't want to see her get hurt like you were." Byron tells me gently.

" I don't either." I say whilst a single tear runs down my face.

" If he does anything to Aria, Robert Fitz is a dead man." Byron assures me.

Robert's POV

I fill my empty glass with the strongest liqueur I can find. Byron Montgomery really went to far this time. How dare he accuse me of wanting to hurt that little brat of his, Byron just dug his daughter's own grave. Now I do want to hurt her, and I most definitely will. My thoughts are interrupted when I hear somebody pounding on my front door.

" Derek!" I say happily when I see him standing on my porch.

" Hello cousin." He says back.

" What brings you over to Rosewood?" I ask curiously.

" Your never going to believe what just happened." He says avoiding my question.

" What?" I ask as we walk over to the couch.

" Your son and Byron Montgomery's daughter just called me! They told me that they are in love and want to know what happened between you and the Montgomery's." Derek says chuckling.

" Of course my son would be desperate enough to date a Montgomery." I say in disgust.

" I'm glad I never had to meet him." Derek tells me.

" What did you tell them?" I ask curiously.

" I agreed to meet them tomorrow in Philadelphia. We finally have a way to get close to Byron's daughter without him knowing it!" Derek says excitedly.

" You didn't tell them we are cousins did you?" I ask nervously.

Derek shakes his head and asks, "What should I tell them about you and the Montgomery's? Telling them the truth about what happened will probably make Aria closer to her family. Not to mention the fact that Ezra would hate you even more than he already does."

Furry fills my body.

" Lie then stupid! We want Aria to turn away from her father, so she will trust us!" I tell Derek angrily.

" You're not a liar Robert." He tells me.

" You're right, I'm not. However, I never said I had a problem with other people lying for me." I explain.

" Okay, I'll do what you say." Derek says.

" I will have the Montgomery's in the palm of my hands in no time." I say excitedly.

" Cheers." Derek says as he pours me another glass of wine.

**Did you like this chapter? What will Derek tell Aria and Ezra? Please review, it would mean the world to me!**


	11. Ezra's Confession

Ezra's POV

So far I've spent my entire free period sneaking glances at Aria while she converses with her friends. After school we are meeting up with Derek Black in Philadelphia so we can figure out what caused our families to feud. I'm so glad this is our last period because I can't go much longer without knowing the truth.

" Ezra, stop staring at Aria and engage in our conversation." Caleb says whilst rolling his eyes.

" I'm not staring at Aria, I'm staring at Hanna." I say teasing Caleb.

" I already have dibs on her." Caleb reminds me.

" Fine." I say as I open my biology book.

Hardy is still the only person who knows that Aria and I are romantically involved. Aria and I agreed that telling anybody else could potentially jeopardize our already complicated relationship. When Caleb looks away, I sneak another glance at Aria. Her shoulders tense up, and fear fills her hazel eyes. What could be bothering her? My question is answered when I see Noel Kahn approaching her with a smirk on his face. It takes all of my will power to keep me from attacking Noel. As long as he stays away from Aria, I'll leave him alone. Instead of avoiding Aria, he walks straight up to her and rubs his hands up her thighs. I can literally see Aria shaking with fear from across the library. I immediately feel strongly protective over Aria. Not thinking things through, I jump out of my seat and sprint over to Noel. Hardy and Caleb are extremely confused and sprint after me.

" Don't you dare touch her." I yell at Noel angrily.

" I'm sorry, you don't mean like this do you?" Noel asks as he grinds up against Aria.

A whimper immediately escapes her lips. Unable to control myself, I jump on Noel and push him to the ground.

" What the Hell are you doing?" Caleb shouts at me.

I continue to punch Noel while a crowd in the library gathers around us. A group of teachers shout angrily at us to stop.

" Ezra, you're going to get yourself in trouble." Hardy screams through the commotion.

I ignore him, and continue to fight off Noel.

" Hardy's right Ezra, please stop!" Aria says with tears of fear in her eyes.

" Someone break these two up!" Mrs. Harmaning shouts angrily.

After much effort, Hardy and Caleb are finally able to pull me off of Noel.

" Aria, Ezra, and Noel come to the principal's office this second!" Mrs. Harmaning shouts.

Line Break

Aria sits next to me in the Mr. Tamborellie's waiting room, while Noel sits across from us.

" I called Derek Black and told him we would reschedule." Aria whispers to me.

" Good. I'm so sorry I got you into this mess." I whisper back.

Aria shakes her head and says, " Actually, I think it was the opposite."

" What are you two idiots whispering about?" Noel asks furiously.

" You can talk to me that way, but don't you dare say that about Aria." I tell him angrily.

" Haven't you boy's fought enough today?" Mr. Tamborellie asks as he enters the waiting room.

Noel and I stare at the ground and don't answer.

" I've called all of your parents, they will be here shortly." Mr. Tamborellie tells us.

" Aria isn't in trouble is she? None of this is her fault." I explain to the principal.

" You're right about that, but this fight was obviously centered around her." Mr. Tamborellie tells me as he leaves the room.

Tears begin to flood out of Aria's eyes.

" Don't cry, I'll tell everyone the truth about what happened. You won't get in trouble." I assure her.

" Ezra, he called our parents! When they found out you got into a fight for me, they are going to freak!" Aria says terrified.

" I'll fix this, I promise." I say as I take her hand.

" What are we going to do?" She asks me fearfully.

" The only thing we can do, tell everyone the truth." I say to Aria.

My dad is the first parent to enter Mr. Tamborellie's room. The principal moves us out of the waiting room and into his actual office.

" Please tell me what stupid thing my son did this time so I can sign some papers and get on with my life." My dad says with no emotion.

" This is very serious Mr. Fitz, your son could potentially be suspended or even expelled." Mr. Tamborellie informs my dad.

My heart sinks, there goes my chances of getting into college.

Aria's parents enter the office shortly after this. Anger and hatred fill both of our dad's eyes.

" What did your son do to my daughter?" Aria's dad practically shouts.

" Please control yourself." Mr. Tamborellie says to Aria's father.

He immediately quiets down, but everybody can feel the strong tension in the small room. Aria's parents continuously shoot angry looks at me, while Noel sits in his seat amused. Aria seems terrified, and my dad could care less about what's going to happen to me. Noel's parents finally arrive and we are able to start the conference that will decide my future.

" Can you please tell us why we are here?" Noel's mom asks the principal anxiously.

" Today during sixth period, these two boys got into a physical fight in the library." Mr. Tamborellie explains.

" Why is my daughter here? This obviously does not concern her." Byron tells the principal.

I can tell that Byron cares a lot about Aria, and that he is very protective of her. I feel a little bit jealous of Aria because I wish my dad was this way with me.

" Actually it does concern Aria, these two boys were fighting for her." The Principal informs everyone.

Aria blushes when her mom shoots her a confused look.

" Miss Montgomery, why don't you tell us all what happened. I'm sure you can explain it best." The principal tells her.

Aria glances at me nervously, I give her a reassuring nod.

" I was studying with my friends in the library when Noel approached me. He started to brush against me inappropriately, Ezra saw this and rushed to my defense." Aria explains.

" Did you ask Noel to stop Miss Montgomery?" The principal asks.

Aria nods her head nervously, while Noel looks down ashamed.

" How about you tell them what happened at the party Aria." I say to her.

" You mean the night you broke her heart?" Noel smirks.

" I meant the night you tried to rape her." I shout furiously.

All of the parents let out a startled gasp. Tears begin to form in Ella's concerned eyes.

" I never tried to rape her, she voluntarily came with me." Noel lies.

" I did not!" Aria says crying.

"Everyone calm down! Aria, what happened at the party?" Mr. Tamborellie asks calmly.

" I was with Noel the entire night. He offered me a drink, and I took it. I started to feel dizzy, so Noel offered to take me to a room where I could lie down. I realized what was happening so I started to cry, shortly after I passed out." Aria manages to say through her tears.

" Noel, is this true?" The principal asks.

Noel does the opposite of what I expect him to do, and nods his head as tears roll down his face.

" Noel!" His father shouts ashamed.

" This is beyond unacceptable Mr. Kahn." The principal says angrily.

" How did Ezra find her?" Aria's mom asks obviously shaken.

" I found sleeping pills in one of the Kahn's cabinets. I went looking for Aria so I could warn her, but I found Hanna instead. When I asked her about Aria, she told me that Aria wasn't feeling well and that Noel was taking care of her. I rushed up to Noel's bedroom, and found Aria lying on his bed unconscious and him cutting off her dress." I explain to the group.

" How could you do that to this poor girl?" Noel's mom asks through her tears.

" I couldn't help it, she is just so beautiful!" Noel says defensively.

Aria's dad is about to get out of his seat and beat the crap out of Noel, but Ella somehow manages to hold him back.

" This is an inexcusable offense Mr. Kahn. You're official expelled from Rosewood Day." The principal declares.

The Kahn's leave the room to talk to Mr. Tamborellie privately. A couple of minutes later he comes back into the room without the Kahn's.

" Excuse me Sir, what's going to happen to me?" I ask nervously.

" We have a zero tolerance policy for violence Mr. Fitz, but your actions were clearly justified. I'm going to let you off the hook this one time." Mr. Tamborellie decides.

" Thank you so much!" I say relived.

" Does this mean I can leave?" My dad asks annoyed.

" Go right ahead." The principal says to him.

Aria, her parents, and I are left alone in the office.

" Why were you so quick to jump to our daughter's defense?" Byron asks me.

" Mr. Montgomery, I'm in love with Aria." I say boldly.

**How will Ella and Byron react? Please review!**


	12. Take Me With You!

Aria's POV

" Mr. Montgomery I'm in love with Aria." Ezra says boldly.

I gasp in shock. What has he gotten us into? My dad's once confused and concerned eyes now look furiously at Ezra.

" Aria, is this a joke?" My dad asks trying to stay calm.

I shake my head and grab Ezra's hand.

" It's not a joke, I love him." I say nervously.

" You lied to us Aria." My mom says hurt.

" What choice did I have? If I told you about our relationship you would have done anything to keep us apart!" I shout frustrated.

" You obviously know us a lot better than we know you." My mom says with no emotion.

" Mom." I say with tears forming in my eyes.

" Ezra, I would leave if I were you." My dad shouts angrily.

" Dad can we please talk about this?" I beg desperately.

" No Aria. He is garbage like his father, I never want to see you two together ever again." My dad tells me.

" Don't call him garbage! He is nothing like his father I swear. I can't believe you would even think that after he saved me from Noel!" I shout through my tears.

" He saved you? For who himself!" My dad yells furiously.

" Mr. Montgomery, I would never hurt Aria." Ezra says defensively.

" Sure you wouldn't." My dad snaps.

" Come on Aria, we are leaving." My mom tells me.

I shake my head and wrap my arms around Ezra protectively.

" Aria now!" My father shouts.

" Why can't you see that I love him?" I ask frustrated.

" Because you're only seventeen! You have no idea what love is, and this boy is only trying to hurt you!" My dad answers angrily.

" That's not true." I protest.

Out of nowhere, Ezra's dad enters the office. My parents stare at him hatefully.

" I forgot my wallet." Ezra's dad states calmly.

" What the Hell is wrong with you Robert? I know you hate me, but do you really have to take that out on my innocent daughter?" My dad asks.

" I have no idea what you're talking about." Ezra's dad answers cooly.

" I'm talking about you using your son to get close to her!" My dad yells hysterically.

" Please, my son wouldn't waste his time with that trashy daughter of yours." Robert tells my dad.

" She is not trashy, and I'm in love with her." Ezra says whilst squeezing my hand tightly.

" If you're in love with a Montgomery then you're no longer my son." Ezra's dad says.

" You've never been a father to me anyway." Ezra tells his dad.

Mr. Fitz is about to punch Ezra, so I put myself between them. The punch directed towards Ezra ends up hitting me in the gut instead. A startled moan escapes my lips.

Ezra holds me tight, while my father charges fearlessly at Robert Fitz.

" Stop!" I yell trying to hide my fear.

" Byron get off him, Robert Fitz isn't worth your time." My mom says through the commotion.

" He just punched our daughter!" My dad screams.

" I was aiming for my son." Ezra's dad explains.

My dad reluctantly gets away from Ezra's dad and literally yanks me out of Ezra's arms.

" Aria, you are leaving this second." My dad says to me.

" Daddy, please don't leave Ezra alone with him!" I beg through my tears.

" I said we are leaving!" My dad shouts.

" Go with them Aria, you don't deserve this pointless drama." Ezra tells me.

" Okay." I say nervously.

Ezra looks at me lovingly while my parents pull me out of the room.

The car ride home is awkward and silent. I cry quietly in the back seat, while my parents stare furiously at the road. When we finally arrive at my house, I appreciate the silence that we had in the car.

The first thing my mom says when we enter our house is, " Give me your phone Aria."

" Why?" I ask annoyed.

" I don't want you talking to Ezra anymore." My mom explains.

" That's not fair!" I protest.

" Aria listen to your mother." My dad tells me harshly.

I hand her my phone defeated.

" I will also drive you to and from school until you are able to gain our trust back." My dad tells me.

" You're not allowed to leave this house without us." My mom adds.

" That's completely unfair! What if I want to study or hang out with my friends?" I ask.

" If your behavior doesn't change drastically, you won't be doing any of those things." My dad answers cooly.

" If you want to see your friends they can come here." My mom tells me gently.

I smile at my mom gratefully, I don't know how much more of this hostility I can take.

" Go to upstairs Aria. I can't stand being in the same room as you." My dad says meanly.

" Mom?" I say hoping she will stand up for me.

" Go upstairs Aria." She answers cooly.

I begin to sob hysterically. My dad looks at me sympathetically for about a second before he leaves my mom and me alone.

" You know we still love you Aria." My mom says before following my father into the kitchen.

Do they still love me? They certainly are not doing a very good job of showing it. I walk up to my bedroom defeated. Tears roll down my red face. If I had one wish, I would wish for Ezra to hold me in his protective arms.

Ezra's POV

I lie on my couch and sigh. Today couldn't have gotten any worse. First I get sent to the principal's office for fighting Noel, and now I'm being separated from the girl that I love. After the Montgomerys left the school, my dad completely lashed out at me. He was ranting about me making him look bad in front of his arch enemies. Doesn't my father care that I'm not allowed near the only person that makes my silly life worth living? He already made me lose my mother, and now I might lose Aria. I'm done letting him push me around. My dad doesn't scare me anymore, he already took away what matters most to me. I'm also done sitting around and being a victim. I need to go after what I really want. Without a moment of hesitation, I storm out of my apartment and head straight for my old white truck.

Line Break

I pull into the Montgomery's driveway and sneak into their backyard. The lights are off and it's almost midnight, so I assume that everyone is asleep. I glance up at the second story of the Montgomery's house and hear Aria sobbing quietly. I need to find a way up to her bedroom. After searching for a while, I find an old ladder lying in a bush. I set the ladder up and take a step onto it. I carefully make my way up to Aria's porch. I gently knock on Aria's door, hoping that she is the only person who can hear me.

" Who's there?" Aria asks nervously from inside of her room.

" It's me, Ezra." I whisper.

Aria opens the door without hesitation. Salty tears run down her already wet face. I wrap my arms around Aria and hold her close to me.

" Ezra." She says through her tears.

" Sh-sh it's okay." I say as I rub Aria's back.

" No it's not! My parents are doing everything they can to keep me away from you. They even took away my phone." She says sadly.

" I though you were upset with me when you didn't answer my texts and calls." I confess.

Aria shakes her head and says, " The only people I'm upset with are my parents."

" They are just trying to protect you. I wish my dad cared about me the way that your parents care about you." I tell Aria.

" Your dad doesn't deserve you." Aria tells me.

" I just came to make sure you were safe. I should leave before your parents hear us." I say.

" Take me with you." Aria demands.

" I can't. Your parents will tell the police that I kidnapped you or something." I protest.

" I'll figure something out in the morning. Just take me with you." She begs.

" Okay but your going to need to climb down a ladder." I tell her.

" That's fine." She says nervously.

I climb down the ladder first so I can hold it and keep it from wobbling when Aria climbs down. After a lot of encouragement, Aria finally gets down to the bottom. I grab Aria's hand and we sprint to my truck. I drive away from the house as quickly as I can, fearing that Byron will come out and take Aria away from me.

" Thanks for getting me out." Aria says appreciatively.

" No problem." I tell her.

After this, the drive to my apartment is completely silent. When we arrive Aria immediately collapses on my couch.

" Is everything okay?" I ask her.

Aria shakes her head sadly.

" My parents hate. My dad won't even sit in the same room as me." She explains sadly.

" They don't hate you Aria. Your parents are worried about you, and they know my dad so I don't blame them. Besides, nobody could ever hate you." I say as I wrap my arms around her.

" Are you okay?" Aria asks me.

" I am now that I have you next to me." I say as I kiss her passionately.

Aria doesn't hesitate to kiss me back equally as hard. Clothes are quickly shed, I pick Aria up and carry her to my bedroom. When things get even more heated, I back way off.

" What's wrong?" Aria asks concerned.

" Nothing. I just want to make sure that you really want to do this." I explain.

" I'm sure." Aria says as she leans into my chest.

" I love you." I say as I grab her hand.

I quickly forget everything that's wrong with my life. All that matters is that I have Aria, right here and right now. After a couple of eventful hours, Aria is sleeping peacefully in my arms. I check my phone and realize that I have a couple of missed calls. Who would be calling me at this time of the night? My eyes grow wide with shock when I see that Derek Black has been trying to get ahold of me.

**What did everyone think? Were you surprised about how Ella and Byron reacted? Please review and let me know! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **


	13. The Truth Hurts

Aria's POV

I wake up to Ezra giggling in his sleep, I chuckle and kiss his forehead. Last night I gave Ezra my virginity. Everything is perfect between us, except that our parents are trying to keep us apart. Last night I left a note for my parents saying that I snuck out to Spencer's house. I grab my phone, and unsurprisingly have several missed calls from my parents. I step out of the room so I don't wake up Ezra and call them back.

" What were you thinking Aria?" My dad yells angrily through the phone.

" That it was Friday night and I didn't want to spend the night in a house where everyone wants me to disappear." I say trying to hold back my hostility.

" Aria, we have been worried sick about you!" My dad tells me sadly.

" I told you I went to Spencer's house." I remind him.

" Your mother and I love you so much Aria. How do you think we would feel if something happened to you?" My dad asks me gently.

" Nothing is going to happen to me! Spencer and I were just working on a project that's due on Monday." I lie.

" I can pick you up if you'd like, we can go to breakfast together." My dad offers.

" That's okay, we still have to finish the project." I tell him.

" Okay, but please come home tonight. I really miss you." My dad says.

" Okay, I love you." I say as I hang up the phone.

I feel so guilty for lying to my dad, maybe he does only want what's best for me.

" Hey babe." Ezra says as I enter the bedroom.

" Good morning." I say as crawl back into bed.

" Did you sleep okay?" Ezra asks as he plays with my hair.

" Yeah, I just talked to my dad." I tell Ezra.

" What did he say?" Ezra asks concerned.

" He was really upset, but when I told him that I went to Spencer's house he calmed down." I explain.

" How was he towards you?" Ezra asks.

" Really good actually. He told me that he misses me and wants me to come home tonight." I reply.

" That's good. Do you have plans for the rest of today?" Ezra asks me.

" No. What do you have in mind?" I ask in a flirtatious voice.

" Derek Black called me last night after you fell asleep. He wants us to meet him in Philly this afternoon." Ezra tells me.

" We should go, I want some answers." I tell Ezra.

" So do I." Ezra replies.

Line Break

Ezra and I are at park in Philadelphia sitting on a bench.

" What time is it Ezra?" I ask anxiously.

" About ten-thirty." Ezra replies.

I sigh frustrated. Derek Black isn't suppose to meet us until eleven.

" Cheer up Aria. We get to spend our Saturday morning together in this beautiful city." Ezra says as he pulls me closer to him.

" Yeah, I know." I say as I kiss him gently.

" Promise me that you will still love me after we have this meeting with Derek." Ezra says to me.

" Of course! Why would you say that?" I ask confused.

" Something pretty bad must have gone down between our families, and I don't want that to ruin our relationship." Ezra explains.

" It won't! In case you forgot, I'm kind of in love with you." I say as I wrap my arms around him.

" Don't worry, I remember." Ezra says as he holds me in his arms.

Before long it's eleven o'clock, I see a tall man with dark hair approaching Ezra and me.

" Are you Derek Black?" Ezra asks the man.

" I am. I'm assuming that you are Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz." Derek says.

" Yes. We have a lot of questions for you." Ezra tells Derek.

" I know a coffee shop down the street where we can talk." Derek suggests.

" Perfect." Ezra says as he helps me off the bench.

Derek leads us to the coffee shop down the street. He keeps his distance from Ezra and I, walking several feet in front off us.

" Do you notice how much he looks like you." I whisper to Ezra.

" Yeah. It's probably a coincidence." Ezra decides.

After we find a table in the coffee shop, Derek gets right to business.

" Tell me again what you want to talk with me about." He says.

" Aria and I are in love, and we can't help but realize how much our fathers despise each other. We decided to go looking for some answers, and came across one of my father's old year books. We saw a picture of you sitting in front of the school with our fathers. Do you know what happened between them?" Ezra asks seriously.

Derek nods his head nervously.

" You are definitely Ella Montgomery's daughter, she looked just like you at sixteen." Derek says avoiding answering Ezra.

" Can you please tell us what happened between our families?" I ask Derek.

" I'm sorry, but no." Derek replies.

" Why not?" Ezra asks trying to control his anger.

" Your fathers were involved in some pretty dirty business. Knowing the truth will hurt, especially for Aria." Derek explains.

" I'm a big girl, I can handle it." I argue.

" Are you sure you want to hear this?" He asks Ezra and I.

Both of us nod our heads eagerly.

" I was in school with both of your dads for years. They were best friends, and the entire town knew it. You're grandparents were close family friends, so your dads met at an extremely young age. They were inseparable all through their preschool, elementary, and middle school years." Derek says clearing his throat.

" Why do they despise each other so much then?" Ezra asks skeptically.

" Things got ugly for them their ninth grade year. Byron's mother passed away and he was devastated. The Fitzes were good to him, and practically took him in as their own. The two boys still had a brotherly relationship, up until around junior year." Derek explains.

" What happened then?" I ask curiously.

" You're mother happened Aria. She moved to Rosewood from a small beach town in California, and all of the boys were drooling over her. She quickly established a romantic relationship with Robert Fitz." Derek tell me.

I gasp in shock.

" But my mom hates Ezra's dad." I protest.

" It didn't start out that way. They were the power couple of Rosewood High, and your father got to play the role of supportive best friend. Byron secretly fancied Ella, but never acted on his feelings for her until the night of junior/senior prom. Robert and Ella were crowned prom king and queen that night, and it was too much for Byron to take." Derek says to us.

" I can't believe this." Ezra says in shock.

" It gets much worse. Aria has your mother ever told you about her twin brother?" Derek asks me.

" Yeah. She told me his was killed in an accident." I reply.

" Do you want to know why she never told you the details of the accident?" Derek asks.

I nod my head in response.

" Because she doesn't know the truth about what happened that night. Byron, Robert and I are the only people who do. The accident was what caused the hatred between your families." Derek explains.

" Tell us what happened!" Ezra demands.

" Byron was outraged that Ella chose Robert over him. Byron told Robert and I that he left his coat in the car, and asked us to come with him to get it. We agreed, unaware of what he was planning on doing. When we got to the parking lot Byron pulled out a gun, and started yelling at Robert hysterically. Both of us were terrified of what Byron might do." Derek says nervously.

Tear begin to well up in my eyes. Ezra squeezes my hand, attempting to comfort me.

" Aria, we don't have to hear the rest if it's going to upset you." Ezra tells me gently.

I shake my head and say, " I need to hear the truth, continue Derek."

" Robert finally built up his courage and told Byron to put his gun down. Drunk and infuriated, Byron pulled the trigger. No one realized that Ella's brother Matthew was standing behind Robert, untill his lifeless body hit the floor. Byron was so afraid of what would happen to him that he ran to the police station and told everyone that Robert was the man who pulled the trigger." Derek says avoiding eye contact.

" What do the police think happened?" Ezra asks Derek.

" At first they believed Byron's story, but then Robert told the police what really happened. The police wanted to cover up the terrible accident, so they said that Ella's brother shot himself. After the accident, Ella and Robert broke up. Byron convinced her that Robert was a murderer, and Ella quickly fell for Byron." Derek concludes.

Ezra holds me in his arms as I begin to cry.

" My dad is a murderer?" I ask in disbelief.

Derek Black nods his head at me sympathetically.

**What did you all think? Please review and let me know! Every single review makes me smile :)! **


	14. Reactions

Ezra's POV

I sit in the coffee shop shocked. If Derek Black is telling the truth, I understand why my dad hates Byron Montgomery so much! Poor Aria is sobbing in my arms. I know how close she is with her father, and how upsetting this is for her. I thank Derek Black and lead Aria to the car.

" I can't believe this!" Aria says when she enters the old truck.

" Neither can I! And I'm not so sure that I do." I tell Aria.

" What do you mean? You heard the man, my dad is a murderer!" Aria yells through her tears.

" How do we know if Derek Black is trust worthy? He seemed really shady to me." I tell Aria.

" What reason would he have for lying to us?" Aria asks unconvinced.

I shrug defeated.

" I don't want to go home after everything that we heard today. Can I sleepover at your apartment tonight?" Aria asks me.

" Of course, you're always welcome." I tell her.

" Thank you." She says softly.

I smile at her as we pull up to the apartment complex. As soon as we arrive in my apartment, we collapse on my couch. I immediately wrap my arms around Aria, as she struggles to get comfortable.

" We should run away." Aria tells me.

" Where would we go?" I ask curiously.

" I don't know, Iceland maybe?" She suggests.

" Why Iceland?" I ask amused.

" It's far away from Rosewood." She replies.

" What would we do there?" I ask her.

" It wouldn't mater. I would have you, and that's all I'll ever need." Aria says as she starts to close her eyes.

" Would we have any children?" I ask interested.

" Yes, however many we can fit in our little hut." Aria says chuckling.

" Instead if running away, why don't we try something else?" I suggest.

" What?" Aria asks curiously.

" Marriage." I state nervously.

" Marriage!" Aria exclaims as she jolts up.

" Yes. Think about it, our parents would have no way of keeping us apart." I explain.

" You're right." Aria says processing my idea.

" So what do you say?" I ask anxiously.

Ella's POV

I lie down on my king seized bed, as I read a book. Byron walks into the room sadly.

" What's wrong honey?" I ask concerned.

" Aria just called me, she is sleeping over at Spencer's house again tonight." Byron explains.

" I thought she told you she would come tonight." I state disappointed.

" She did, I guess she changed her mind." Byron says sadly.

" She is a seventeen year old girl Byron. They change their minds almost as much as they change their clothes." I say chuckling.

" I guess you're right, but what if she is angry at me?" Byron asks me.

" Aria loves you, I promise she will get over it." I say comforting my husband.

" I suppose. It's just that I feel like I'm losing my baby girl." Byron tells me sadly.

" We might lose her for a little while, but Aria always comes back to us." I assure him.

" You're right." Byron says as he kisses me gently.

" If going to call Veronica Hastings to ask about Aria." I say as I leave the room.

I dial Veronica's number and wait for her to answer.

" Hello Ella." Veronica says cheerfully.

" Hey, I just wanted to make sure that Aria is okay. Does she seem angry or withdrawn to you?" I ask nervously.

" I haven't seen her since last week." Veronica says confused.

" She slept over at your house last night! Aria is there now!" I say nervously.

" I don't think so, Spencer hasn't seen her all day." Veronica explains.

" So Aria didn't stay at your house last night?" I ask terrified.

" No, did Aria tell you she did?" Veronica asks puzzled.

" I've got to go." I say as I hang up the phone.

Aria lied to us, She is with Ezra Fitz! I need to do something before she gets seriously hurt.

Robert's POV

I sit on my porch as I wait for my cousin Derek Black's arrival. I run up to his car anxiously as he pulls up to my driveway.

" Did you meet with them?" I ask excitedly.

" Yes." Derek says proudly.

" Give me details." I beg as we enter my house.

" I told them that Byron killed Matthew, and they believed every lie that came out of my mouth." He says laughing.

" Stupid teenagers." I say as I laugh along with him.

" What do you have to drink?" Derek asks.

" Forget about alcohol, what was Aria's reaction?" I ask curiously.

" She was heartbroken! By the end of the story she was sobbing into Ezra's chest!" Derek says drunk from laughter.

" Do you think we caused some rift between Aria and her daddy?" I ask.

" Absolutely!" Derek says excitedly.

" It's time for phase two of our plan." I announce.

" I've been thinking..." Derek begins to say.

" That's a first." I say interrupting him.

" Aria doesn't seem like a despicable person. Maybe we shouldn't hurt her, she hasn't done anything to us." Derek mumbles nervously.

" Are you crazy! Aria is Byron Montgomery's daughter, who cares if we hurt her?" I ask furiously.

" The Montgomerys and Ezra might." Derek says nervously.

" That's the point!" I say annoyed at his stupidity.

" Let's take our anger out on Byron and Ezra, not the innocent girl." Derek tells me.

" This is the best way to make them suffer! Besides, I wouldn't mind messing with Aria." I say chuckling.

" I guess you're right." Derek says reluctantly.

" I'm always right. Are you on my side or not?" I ask.

" I'm always in your side." Derek tells me.

" Good, then let's get to work." I tell him.

" Okay." Derek says.

" Do you want something to drink?" I ask him.

Derek nods his head eagerly.

" I'm going to get the vodka from the kitchen." I say as I leave the living room.

I chuckle happily to myself. The Montgomery's are going to pay very soon.

What did you think of this chapter? Will Aria and Ezra elope, and what will the parents have to say? Thank you for reading, please review!


	15. Let's Elope

Aria's POV

I pull away from Ezra and look up at him shocked.

" You're actually serious about getting married?" I ask nervously.

Ezra nods his head and gets down on one knee.

" Aria, I'm young and I'm stupid. I don't know very much, but the one thing I'm sure about is that you and I belong together. I love you so much, and I can't let anything or anyone keep me away from you. If you would do me the honor of being my wife, I promise to love and cherish you for the rest of my life." Ezra says looking up at me.

" Ezra." I manage to say through the tears forming in my eyes.

" Is that a yes?" He asks confused.

I wrap my arms around Ezra and lean up against him.

" I love you too. You're my soul mate and my other half, but we are only seventeen. Are you seriously ready to commit marriage?" I ask him.

" Again, I love you Aria and I never want to lose you. We are done with junior year at the end of the month. We can get married, finish senior year here in Rosewood, and move to Iceland or wherever you want to go." Ezra tells me passionately.

" Okay." I say lovingly.

" That's a yes?" Ezra asks in a beyond happy voice.

" Yes, but we are doing this on my terms." I tell Ezra.

" What are your terms my beautiful fiancé?" Ezra asks me.

" I don't want to wait until the end of the month, I want to get married today." I say excitedly.

" Today?" Ezra asks with pure shock.

" Yes. Let's get on a train to New York City and have our wedding there." I tell Ezra.

" Okay, but who is going to our wedding?" Ezra asks.

" You, me, whatever cheep priest we can find, Hardy, Caleb, and the girls." I say as I start to gather up my things.

" Should I call them now?" Ezra asks still surprise.

I shake my head furiously.

" Wait until we are far away from Rosewood. They can't know anything or know where we are until they are sworn to secrecy." I tell him.

" Good idea, We can call them on the train ride up to New York." Ezra says smiling.

" I can't believe I'm doing this." I say happily.

" Let's go get married." Ezra says as he sweeps me off my feet and carries me out of the apartment bridal style.

Ella's POV

" Byron!" I say frantically as I run into our bedroom.

" What is it honey?" He asks concerned.

" Aria lied to us, she isn't with the Hastings." I say as tears roll down my cheeks.

" What? Where is our daughter?" Byron yells furiously.

" I don't know." I say shaking my head.

" Look at what the Fitzes have done this time!" Byron shouts as his cheeks turn red with furry.

" Do you think that she is alone with Robert's son?" I ask trying to hold back more tears.

" Of course she is, get in the car Ella." Byron demands.

" Where are we going?" I ask confused.

" To get our baby girl back." Byron tells me.

Line Break

" Do you want to wait in the car or come with me?" Byron asks me as we pull up to Robert's narrow driveway.

" I'll come with you." I say as I get out of the car.

" Are you sure you're ready to face the man who murdered your brother?" Byron asks concerned.

" I'm done hiding from Robert, he stepped out of line the moment his son got involved with Aria." I say.

" I couldn't agree more." Byron says as we approach the porch.

Byron knocks persistently until Derek Black opens the door.

" Derek?" Byron asks shocked.

" Hello Byron." Derek says with no emotion.

" I don't understand, why do you still associate with this scumbag?" Byron asks.

" He is my cousin, and not to mention the only real friend I have." Derek says cooly.

" I was your friend Derek." Byron says as his eyes soften.

" You were my friend." Derek says emphasizing the "were".

" Is Robert home?" Byron asks persistently.

" Yes, but he probably doesn't want to see you." Derek says harshly.

" I don't care if he doesn't want to see me, tell Robert to get his ass out here." Byron says angrily.

" Robert, Byron Montgomery is here to see you." Derek yells.

Robert immediately walks to the door and smiles at me.

" Well well well, if it isn't Ella Montgomery." Robert says as he runs his rough fingers through my hair.

" Keep your hands off her Robert." Byron says as he steps in between us.

" What do you two want?" Robert asks cooly.

" Where is our daughter?" I ask furiously.

" You're her mother, shouldn't you know?" Robert asks smirking.

" We know she is with your son." Byron yells.

" I don't know anything about their disgusting romance. If you want to know something talk to Ezra, not me." Robert tells us.

" Where does Ezra live?" I ask.

Robert pulls out a pen and a piece of a paper and writes down an address.

" Byron, make sure you beat the crap out of Ezra when you get there." Robert says as he hands me the address.

" For once, we might be on the same page." Byron says as we walk back to our car.

Line Break

We walk up a flight of stairs to Ezra's small apartment. Byron knocks on the door, but nobody answers.

" I know you're in there Aria." Byron shouts.

Still no answer.

" I bet he keeps an extra key under this rug." I say lifting it up.

Sure enough, there is a silver key. Byron unlocks the door and storms inside.

" They actually aren't here." He says shocked.

Our eyes immediately trail to the bed in the back of the room, it's still unmade.

" Do you think..." I start to say.

" I'm going to kill him." Byron interrupts.

" What are we going to do now? They aren't here!" I say frustrated.

" They have to come back sometime, let's just wait here." Byron suggests.

" In the meantime, I'll call all of Aria's friends and ask them if they know anything." I tell him.

" If we don't get ahold of her by noon, I'm calling 911." Byron says.

Aria's POV

After a long and boring train ride, Ezra and I finally arrive in New York! We check into a hotel on the strip and collapse on the bed.

" I'm going to go pick out your ring, don't leave this room." Ezra says as he kisses my cheek.

" Okay, I'll call everyone." I say as I pull out my phone.

My eyes grow wide with shock when I realize that my parents have called me thirty times! I listen to a voice message from my mom. It consists of her telling me that she knows I'm with Ezra and that if I'm not home soon she is calling the police. This definitely complicates things, I dial my moms number nervously.

" Aria!" My mom says excitedly.

" Hey." I say awkwardly.

" Did Ezra Fitz force you to go anywhere with him? Are you safe? Do need your father and me to pick you up?" My mother rambles.

" I came with Ezra out of my own free will, don't worry about me I'm safe." I say.

My mom's once concerned voice turns harsh as she says, " You are in so much trouble young lady! Your father and I have been worried sick about you. We didn't know if that Ezra boy had kidnapped you..." My mother stars to say.

" You thought that Ezra kidnapped me?" I ask amused.

" This isn't funny Aria! You lied to us and went behind our backs!" My mom yells.

" Give me the phone." I hear my dad say in the background.

" Aria, did that monster hurt you? You don't have to protect him, I'll come and get you. I promise he will pay for anything that he did to you." My dad says gently.

" Ezra hasn't done anything to hurt me daddy." I tell him.

" Where are you Aria?" My dad asks.

" I'm sorry but I can't tell you." I say apologetically.

" Why not? Let me talk to Ezra!" He says angrily.

" Ezra isn't here." I tell him.

" Where is he?" My dad asks.

" Buying me a wedding ring." I say nervously.

" WHAT!" Both of my parents shout.

" Yeah, Ezra and I are getting married." I say.

" Are you out of your mind Aria? You're only seventeen years old!" My mom reminds me.

" I love him." I say boldly.

" This is the last straw, I'm calling the police." My dad says as I hang up the phone.

Ezra and I need to hurry up and get married before my parents can stop us. I immediately dial Hanna's number.

" Aria!" Hanna shouts excitedly.

" I need to talk to you." I say.

" First tell me where you are, your mom and dad are worried about you." Hanna tells me.

" I spoke to them earlier. Are Emily and Spencer there?" I ask.

" Yeah, I'll put you on speaker." Hanna says.

" Where the heck are you?" Spencer asks.

" If I tell you, you have to promise that you won't tell my parents." I say sternly.

" I don't know if I can promise that, your poor mother is convinced that Ezra kidnapped you." Emily says nervously.

" I called my parents and told them that I am safe." I explain.

" So they know where you are?" Emily asks confused.

" Not exactly." I say.

" What do you mean not exactly?" Spencer asks anxiously.

" I told them that I'm safe, and that Ezra and I are getting married." I say.

" Married." Spencer and Emily shout at the same time.

" Yes, Ezra and I are in love." I tell them.

" How did your parents react?" Spencer asks.

" They are livid, but I can't let them ruin my relationship with Ezra." I explain.

" Aria is eloping with Fitzy? That's so romantic!" Hanna squeals.

" I don't exactly agree with this, but you're my bet friend so I support this decision." Spencer tells me.

" Emily?" I ask nervously.

" I better be a bridesmaid!" Emily says happily.

" Of corse you are Em!" I say giggling.

" What about Han and me?" Spencer asks offended.

" Yes, all three of you are my bridesmaids. Come to New York City, I'll wait for you girls at Grand Central." I tell them.

**What did you think? Sorry it took me so long to update, I just finished finals! Please review and thank you all so much for reading :).**


	16. Marriage and More

Aria's POV

Ezra and I stand together as we wait for our friends to arrive in Grand Central. We have finished planning every detail of our wedding. Ezra hired a priest, and bought me my wedding ring. I've called our closest friends and picked out a wedding dress. It isn't very fancy, but it was one of the only dresses that I could afford. Maybe I can dye the dress purple and wear it to next year's prom.

" Ezra, have you filled out all the forms?" I ask.

" Yeah, but there is one problem." He states calmly.

" Problem?" I ask nervously.

" We have to be eighteen to get married legally without our parent's permission. I said that we are eighteen on the forms." Ezra says looking down.

" If that's what you had to do, I'm fine with it." I tell Ezra as I kiss him passionately.

I hear Hardy clear his throat behind us.

" Hardy!" I say excitedly as I wrap my arms around him.

I see Caleb and the girls standing happily behind him.

" We are so glad you all could make it." Ezra says as he places his hands on my hips.

" Let's get to the hotel so we can do Aria's makeup!" Hanna says excitedly.

" As much fun as that sounds, I'm throwing Ezra a bachelor party." Caleb says grinning.

" A bachelor party? We are getting married in two hours!" I remind Caleb.

" Then we should get going." Caleb says as he drags Ezra and Hardy out of Grand Central.

The girls and I drive back to the hotel so that they can do my hair and makeup.

" Get in your dress Aria!" Hanna demands after my hair is curled and my makeup is perfect.

I change into my wedding dress and twirl around in front of the girls.

The three of them gasp in shock.

" You look beautiful." Spencer says with wide eyes.

" Thanks." I say as I look in the mirror.

Tears form in my eyes, I don't even look like Aria Montgomery. I'm only seventeen and I am about to marry the love of my life. All kinds of different emotions are running through me. I glance over my shoulder and realize that Emily and Spencer are tearing up as well.

" No crying Aria, you're going to mess up your eye makeup. This is a wedding not a funeral!" Hanna says trying to lighten the mood.

" You're right, let's go!" I say excitedly.

Line break

The girls and I stand in the courtyard of The Plaza Hotel and wait for Ezra and the priest. Before long I see Ezra, Hardy, Caleb, and an old priest running down the stairs into the courtyard. I smile when I see how handsome Ezra looks in his suit. A grin forms on his face when he sees me in my wedding dress. I run up to Ezra and jump into his loving arms.

" You are the most beautiful woman that I have ever laid eyes on." Ezra tells me as he spins me around.

Our guests stand in front of us with their backs to the crowded city. Ezra and I stand hand in hand with the priest behind us.

" Let's start with the vows." The priest suggests.

" Ladies first." Ezra says causing the group to laugh.

" Ezra Michael Fitz, you are the love of my life and the reason for my being. My love for you has caused me to do some pretty crazy things. If someone told me at the beginning of the year that I was going to run away and elope with you, I would have thought it was crazy. It probably is crazy, but I don't care as long as I get you. You are the man that I have dreamed about for my entire life, and I never thought that I would actually find someone as wonderful as you." I say looking at Ezra in the eyes.

" Aria Rose Montgomery, words can't even begin to describe how strong the love that I have for you is. You are perfect in my eyes, and I love everything about you. I know that there are somethings that you wish you could change about yourself, but those are things that I love about you the most. You're beautiful inside and out and I wouldn't change a thing about you. You have made me the luckiest man alive, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." Ezra says bringing tears to my eyes.

" Let's get to the I do's." Hardy shouts.

" Ezra Michael Fitz, do you take Aria to be your loftily wedded wife." The priest asks.

" You bet I do." Ezra says grinning.

" Aria Rose Montgomery, do you take Ezra to be your loftily wedded husband?" The priest asks.

" I do." I say.

" I now pronounce you husband and wife!" The priest says.

Ezra and I kiss passionately while the group cheers and takes pictures.

" I love you so much Ezra Fitz." I whisper as I bury my head into Ezra's neck.

" I love you more Aria Fitz." Ezra whispers.

Ezra's POV

I carry Aria into the hotel room bridal style. I gently lay Aria on our king sized bed and shower her with kisses. I can't believe that this beautiful hazel eyed girl is my wife, Aria is all that I've ever wanted and more.

" I love you Mrs. Fitz." I whisper in her ear.

We spend the next two hours making our marriage official. A sleeping Aria lays peacefully in my arms, and the only sound I can hear is her light breathing. I kiss her forehead before I drift off.

I wake up when the lights in the hotel room flicker on.

" Aria?" I say confused.

I tremble with fear when I realize that Aria is still sleeping in my arms.

" Who's there?" I call out as Aria's beautiful eyes flutter open.

I see Ella and Byron Montgomery approaching our bed.

" What are you two doing here? How did you find us?" Aria asks terrified.

" There is a tracking device in your phone Aria. We figured out that you were in New York, specifically the Plaza Hotel." Ella says cooly.

" You are in so much trouble young lady, do you have any idea how much stress you put your mother and me through?" Byron shouts.

" I'm sorry, but what choice did I have? You wouldn't let me see him." Aria says as she holds onto me tightly.

" I will ruin you for this Ezra Fitz, Ella and I will go to the police!" Byron yells furiously.

" Please don't do this, it isn't Ezra's fault." Aria cries.

" You're right Aria, it's your fault. I expect this kind of behavior from a Fitz, but I thought that I could trust my daughter." Byron says sadly.

" You will not be leaving your room for some time." Aria's mom tells her.

" You can't ground me!" Aria protests.

" You're a minor Aria, we can do whatever we want." Byron tells her.

" But I'm married now! My last name isn't Montgomery anymore, it's Fitz." Aria tells them.

Ella and Byron both glare at me furiously.

**_Aria and Ezra are finally husband and wife! Do you think Ella and Byron will ever accept their relationship and what have Derek and Robert been up to? Please review and thanks for reading. If you haven't already, please check out my new story "Our New Beginning". It's an Ezria story! Thanks again for your support :)._**


	17. Change of Plans

Aria's POV

" Aria honey, your last name is still Montgomery." My mom says trying to stay calm.

" No it's Fitz, Ezra and I got married this afternoon." I remind her.

" You two are not married, and no daughter of mine will have the last name Fitz." My dad says turning red with furry.

" We're really married Sir, the legal forms are all filled out." Ezra tells my dad.

" What kind of man marries a woman without asking for her father's approval?" My dad asks Ezra angrily.

" A man who lives in this century." I smirk.

" Don't sass me Aria, you're in enough trouble as it is." My dad tells me.

" You can't punish me, I'm a married woman." I remind him.

" You're not married." My dad shouts furiously.

" Byron calm down, Ezra show me the papers." My mom demands.

Ezra pulls our Wedding Certificate out of his suitcase and hands it to my mother. My mother skims through the document and then smiles triumphantly.

" You aren't allowed to marry without a parent's permission until you're eighteen in New York. Aria doesn't turn eighteen until March, so this document is invalid." My mom tells Ezra and me.

" But we had a ceremony with a priest and everything." I protest.

" It doesn't matter, you lied about your age. Next time spend more time doing your research." My mom smirks.

" Come on Aria, we're leaving." My dad says as he grabs my arm.

I shake my head vigorously and say, "I'm staying with Ezra."

" No you're not, I'm your father so I make the rules." My dad says angrily.

"Aria and I aren't married legally, but we are together spiritually. Please don't take her away from me." Ezra begs.

" Aria isn't yours for me to take, if anything you took her from us." My dad yells.

" I love her." Ezra tells him.

" Sure you do. Why don't you tell my daughter what your father did!" My dad shouts.

" I have no idea what my father did to make you hate him so much." Ezra says defensively.

" Yeah right! You're telling me that you don't know about your dad murdering Ella's brother and trying to pin it on me!" My dad screams furiously.

I gasp in utter shock.

" I thought you killed mom's brother, that's why I've been avoiding you." I tell my dad.

" Did he tell you that Aria?" My mom asks pointing to Ezra.

" No, dad's friend Derek Black did." I tell my mom.

My dad starts laughing hysterically.

" My friend Derek Black? The cousin and best friend of Robert Fitz, my enemy?" My dad says drunk with laughter.

" Wait cousin?" I say looking at Ezra.

" I had no idea Aria!" Ezra says.

No wonder Ezra and Derek look so similar, all the pieces finally come together. My parents were right, Ezra used me to hurt my family.

" How could you?" I ask Ezra through the tears forming in my eyes.

" I told you, I had no idea!" Ezra says defensively.

" How do you not know your dad's best friend and cousin? Weren't you the one who found Derek Black and set up a meeting." I ask furiously.

" Yeah, but you wanted to meet him too!" Ezra reminds me.

" I'm a fool." I say through my tears.

" You're not a fool Aria. You're just to trusting, and scum like him will take advantage of you because of that." My dad tells me gently.

" I want to go home." I whimper.

" Aria please!" Ezra says desperately.

" You used me, and lied to me." I say heartbroken.

" I didn't!" Ezra protests.

" Whatever, just stay the Hell away from me!" I say as I slap him across the face.

Ezra looks at me shocked, and I leave the hotel room with my parents.

Line Break

The only noise that can be heard on the car ride home is the sound of my sobbing.

" Do you hate me?" I ask my parents.

" We love you Aria, That's why your mother and I were so upset." My dad tells me gently.

" I could never hate you Aria." My mom tells me.

" I just feel so stupid! I let myself fall in love with a monster, and I betrayed you." I say sadly.

" He was pretty convincing, and we all make mistakes." My mom says

" But I loved him, and I thought he loved me. I even married him!" I say devastated.

" You'll get married when the time is right honey. You're only seventeen, you need to experience the world before you can commit to marriage." My dad tells me.

" You're right." I say softly.

After about two hours, we finally arrive at my safe home.

" I love you so much sweetie." My mom says as she wraps her comforting arms around me.

" Call me if you need anything." My dad says before kissing my forehead.

" Can I take the day off school tomorrow? I'm really tired, and I'm not ready to face Ezra." I tell my parents.

" Take as much time as you need." My dad tells me.

" Thanks, love you." I say as I walk to my bedroom.

" He broke our baby's heart." I hear my dad whisper to my mom.

My dad is right. I never want to hear the name Ezra Fitz again!

Robert's POV

Derek and I spy on the Montgomery's house from the front yard.

" No one is home, this is useless." Derek says annoyed.

" That's their car! Hide so they don't see us!" I tell Derek.

We hide behind a large bush and wait for the Montgomerys to exit their car.

" I love you sweetie." Ella tells Aria ask she hugs her.

" Call me if you need anything." Byron says before kissing his daughter's forehead.

At this point I want to puke!

" Can I take the day off school tomorrow? I'm really tired, and I'm not ready to face Ezra." Aria tells her parents.

" Take as much time as you need." Byron says as they walk into the house.

A large smile covers my face.

" Did you hear that?" I ask Derek excitedly.

Derek nods his head.

" Looks like we have a change in plans." I say.

" Why?" Derek asks confused.

" She will be home alone while her mother and father are at work!" I say giddily.

" That's the perfect time to strike!" Derek says smiling.

" So it's settled, we'll kidnap the girl at noon." I say chuckling.

**What did ya think? Thanks for reading and please review! Also check out my story, "Our New Beginning." Thanks and have a great day! **


	18. To Late

Ezra's POV

After a sleepless night, I take the train back to Rosewood. I miss Aria terribly, and I doubt that she will ever trust me again. For the millionth time since Aria left, I pull out my phone and call her. I'm not surprised when Aria's phone goes straight to voicemail.

" Hey Aria, it's me again. I honestly had no idea that Derek Black is my cousin and my father's friend. I still love you, and I miss you so much that it hurts. Please call me so we can fix this." I say before hanging up the phone.

How could my father not tell me about his cousin? I guess we really don't know each other. Infuriated, I decide to call Derek Black.

" Hello Ezra." Derek says when he picks up the phone.

" Hello Derek, or should I say cousin!" I say furiously.

" I figured it was only a matter of time before you found out." He says flatly.

" What did I ever do to you?" I ask.

" Nothing, but I'm your father's best friend and you're nothing but an embarrassment to him." Derek smirks.

" I hope you're happy, you made me lose Aria." I say angrily.

" Did she break your heart? Don't worry your father and I are about to break her." Derek says with a laugh.

" Don't you dare touch her!" I say hysterically.

" I'd watch your tone with me, I'm about to pay your love a visit." Derek tell me before hanging up.

Panic fills my body, they are going to hurt Aria. I call Aria again, hoping she will pick up. I sigh in frustration when her phone goes straight to voicemail and her voicemail box is already full. Out of pure desperation, I call Byron Montgomery.

" This is Byron Montgomery. Who is this?" He asks.

" Ezra Fitz." I say nervously.

" What do you want?" He asks angrily.

" I know you don't like me..." I start to say.

" Actually I despise you." Byron interrupts.

" But you love Aria, and I think she is in danger. Actually I know she is in danger." I tell him.

" What are you talking about?" He asks nervously.

" I called Derek Black this morning to yell at him. He told me to be careful because he is paying Aria a visit, and he said something about breaking her." I explain.

" Why should I believe you?" He asks.

" Because I love Aria, and I'm nothing like my father." I tell him.

" Thank you so much for letting me know." Byron says.

" Is she at school?" I ask him.

" No, she is home alone." He says nervously.

" Oh no! You need to go get her." I tell Byron.

" I'm an hour away from Rosewood for business, but I'm leaving right away." He tells me.

" Okay. Call Aria and tell her to leave the house." I tell Byron.

"Again, thank you." He says before hanging up the phone.

I hope Byron can get to Aria before it's to late.

Aria's POV

I lie on my bed and sigh sadly, I can't believe Ezra was only playing me. I loved him so much, and I still do. I hear my phone ringing, but I decide to ignore it. It's probably only Ezra trying to tell me that he didn't know anything. I flinch nervously when I hear someone whispering. I'm the only one home so it can't be my parents or Mike. I realize that the whispering is coming from my front yard, so I decide to ignore it. I gasp in fear when I hear glass shattering.

" Dad is that you?" I call.

No answer. My bedroom door doesn't lock, and I don't want to go out in the open. I hide in my closet hoping the intruder won't find me. I grab my phone so I can call 911. I realize my father has called me seven times and left me a text message. I gasp when I read the message.

**Aria, I need you to call me right away. Ezra's father wants to hurt you, and you're in danger. Leave the house right away, and if you hear anything strange call 911.**

I pull out my phone and dial 911.

"Hello this is 911 what's your emergency?" A woman asks.

Before I can respond my door bursts open. I stand in my closet petrified, and unable to speak.

" Hello?" The woman asks.

I hang up the phone so the person in my room doesn't find me.

" Are you sure she is here?" A familiar voice asks.

" Yes. You heard what her father said last night, and we heard her yelling earlier." A man's voice says.

" Check the closet." Someone says.

I stand there paralyzed when the closet door opens.

" Derek?" I ask shocked.

" I found her!" Derek says as he grabs my arm.

I see Ezra's dad approaching us. He grabs my phone and throws it hard at the ground, causing my phone to shatter. He takes me from Derek and roughly slaps me.

" Wh-what do you want." I whimper.

" To make your daddy pay." He growls.

" My dad is coming home now, so I suggest you leave." I say with all the courage I have.

" I'm not going anywhere princess." Ezra's dad says as he pins me roughly on my bed.

I start to cry when I feel him taking off my shirt.

" I couldn't have your mother, but at least I get you." He whispers in my ear.

" Don't do this now Robert. We need to get her out of here before someone comes home." Derek tells him.

" You're right." Robert says as he loosens his grip on me.

He pulls two pills out of his pocket and holds them out in front of me.

"Swallow these." He demands.

I shake my head vigorously. Derek pulls a knife out of his pocket and holds it against my throat.

" I would listen to him if I were you." Derek tells me.

Knowing they will kill me if I don't do what they say, I swallow the pills. I start to feel dizzy moments later.

" By the way Aria, Ezra had no idea I was against you." Derek tells me.

I'm to drowsy to respond, but my heart shatters. A few minutes later I feel Derek Black pick me up and carry me outside. He throws me roughly into a trunk, but I'm to out of it and broken hearted to care.

Byron's POV

After the longest hour of my life, I pull up to my house and sprint inside.

" Aria!" I call from the living room.

A single tear rolls down my face when I'm not greeted by my sweet daughter. I realize that the large window in the living room is shattered. Derek and Robert could have easily crawled into the house through the window. I sprint up stairs to Aria's room, hoping she is asleep in bed. My heart breaks when I see that Aria's room is empty, and her phone is shattered on the floor. I frantically dial 911.

" This is 911 what's your emergency." A woman asks.

" I need the Police Department to find Robert Fitz." I say sternly.

" Why?" The woman asks confused.

" He has my daughter." I say furiously.

**What did ya think? Will Aria be okay? Please review and thanks for reading.**


	19. Scared and Alone

Ezra's POV

When I get off the train Byron Montgomery sends me a text message asking me to come over. All I can think about is Aria, and how I hope she is safe. I drive directly to the Montgomery's house from the train station in Philadelphia. As soon as I get close to Rosewood, I see police cars circling the streets. My heart breaks when I see even more police cars on Aria's street. I get out of my car and sprint as quickly as I can to the Montgomery's house, avoiding several police officers and reporters. I knock on their front door several times before Mike Montgomery opens it, tears fill his eyes.

" Ezra, my parents are expecting you. They are waiting in our living room." He says with no emotion.

" Thank you." I say as I enter the Montgomery house for the first time.

Byron holds Ella in his arms as they sit on the couch in the living room. Ella is crying hysterically, while Byron's cries are more secretive.

" Thank you for coming." Byron says gratefully.

" Where is Aria?" I ask nervously.

Ella sobs harder and Byron clears his throat nervously.

" When I got home from work today I found our window broken and Aria's phone shattered." Byron says sadly.

He doesn't need to say anything else, I know what must have happened.

" I'm so sorry." I say trying to hold back tears.

" We're sorry, we judged you unfairly." Ella tells me.

" I understand why you didn't want me near Aria, my father is trouble." I tell them.

" Do you know what he is going to do to our daughter?" Byron asks shakily.

" He wants to hurt you, taking Aria away was the easiest way for him to do that. I don't think he will do anything to harm her any more than he already has." I say trying to convince them and myself.

" I hope you're right, the police are searching for him." Byron tells me.

" Do they need to ask me any questions? Maybe I can help them find my father." I say eagerly.

" That's okay sweetie, we don't want to put you in the middle of this." Ella tells me gently.

" I am in the middle of this! My father kidnapped my girlfriend!" I say upset.

" If the police need to ask you anything, we will let you know." Byron assures me.

" She loves you so much." Ella tells me as she wraps her arms around me.

" I love her too." I say trying not to cry.

" Thanks for everything Ezra." Byron says shaking my hand.

" No problem Sir." I say with a slight smile.

I say goodbye to Ella and Byron and drive back to my apartment. As soon as I set foot in the apartment I scream as loud as I can, then I grab a pillow from my couch and throw it across the room. I pull out my phone and dial my father's number.

" Hello son." He says when he answers the phone.

" Don't call me son, you're not my father!" I say furiously.

" I wish you were right." He says with a chuckle.

" Where are you keeping Aria?" I ask seriously.

" Why should I tell you?" He challenges.

" Because I swear if you do anything to hurt her, I will end you!" I shout.

" I see why you like the girl, she is beautiful." He tells me.

" The police are hunting you down!" I warn him.

" Have you seen Ella and Byron? Are they devastated?" He asks cruelly.

" After seeing Ella Montgomery's face, I have no doubt that you are going straight to Hell!" I say hysterically.

" I'd watch your mouth if I were you, I have control over Aria's fate." He says before hanging up the phone.

Aria's POV

I wake up feeling dizzy, sore, and confused, it doesn't take me long to figure out that I'm handcuffed to a bed. I start to cry when I recollect the terrible details of how I got here.

" Look who is awake." Robert says as he enters the room with Derek.

" What do you want with me?" I ask angrily.

" You've given me everything that I wanted." He says as he runs his hands down my cheek.

I cry harder, knowing he took advantage of me when I was asleep.

" Then will you please let me go home? I promise I won't tell Ezra or my family anything." I beg desperately.

" What's the fun in that? I like seeing you and your daddy squirm." He says with a smirk.

" How long so you plan on keeping me here?" I ask nervously.

" We are keeping you forever." Derek says with a chuckle.

" The police will find us." I tell them.

" I know, that's why we are leaving the country." Robert tells me.

" Where are we going?" I ask them.

" You ask much to many questions darling." Robert says as he shoves me against the bed roughly.

" Please stop!" I say through my tears.

" You belong to me now." Robert says as he kisses me roughly.

I wince at his touch, he isn't gentle like Ezra is.

" You're never going to see your friends or family ever again." He says laughing triumphantly.

When Derek and Robert finally leave me alone, I break down. I know that if the police don't find me soon, I'm doomed to spend the rest of my life with those monsters. I wonder what my parents thought when they found my phone shattered on my bedroom floor. Does Ezra know what's going on? Does he even care? I close my tired eyes, not wanting to think about it. My eyes bolt open when I hear Derek and Robert arguing intensely from outside of my room.

" You gave everything away when you told Ezra we were visiting Aria." Robert says furiously.

" I'm sorry, I just wanted him to know what was going on so he could sufferer." Derek Black says defensively.

" Ella and Byron know we're responsible for Aria's disappearance, and now the police are after us!" Robert tells Derek.

" They won't find us! This place is in the middle of no where!" Derek argues.

" Yeah, but how will we get out of the country when the entire Police Department is after us?" Robert asks.

" I don't know." Derek says with a sigh.

" My stupid son cares about a filthy Montgomery more than his own father!" Robert says sadly.

" What did you expect? You're hurting the girl he loves." Derek tells Robert.

" I'm doing Ezra a favor. If Aria is anything like her mother, she will run off with Ezra's best friend." Robert says bitterly.

" You still love her don't you?" Derek asks.

Silence follows Derek's remark.

" This won't gain you her love." Derek says.

" I'll never gain her love, that's why I'm after something else." He says.

" What?" Derek asks.

" Her hate, it's the only emotion stronger than love." Robert explains.

" You've already done plenty to make her hate you." Derek reminds him.

" Not enough." Robert says with a laugh.

Robert loves my mom and she doesn't love him back! No wonder Robert is such a bitter person. My only sense of comfort is that the police know who is responsible for my "disappearance".

**What did ya think? Thank you all so much for reading, and please review!**


	20. Knight In Shinning Armor?

Ezra's POV

Aria has been missing for almost two weeks. Her family is very worried about her, and so am I. The police in this town are doing nothing to find Aria because they are more consumed with the Alison DiLaurentis murder investigation. Alison is gone and no one can bring her back, Aria however might still be here. I wince at the word "might". Aria has to still be here, so many people love her including myself. I drive to the Montgomery's house to see if the police have found anything related to Aria's disappearance. Plenty of Police cars circle around the Montgomery house. Flowers, teddy bears, and pictures of Aria are all around the hectic street. When I enter Aria's house, I see dozens of home cooked meals on the kitchen counter. I guess this is how people react when a beautiful and innocent seventeen year old girl goes missing. Ella Montgomery sits alone on the couch while reading "Gone With The Wind", one of Aria's favorite books. She glances up at me and smiles sadly.

" Hello Ezra." She greets me.

" Hello Ella. How are you doing?" I ask sympathetically.

" I'm hanging in there." She says trying to hold back tears.

" How are Byron and Mike?" I ask.

Ella shakes her head sadly.

" I'm so sorry." I say as I hug her.

" How are you doing?" She asks me.

" I've had better days." I admit.

" They don't get much worse than this." Ella tells me.

" Have the police found anything?" I ask curiously.

" No, not yet." Ella tells me.

" I'm so fed up with them. They know who is responsible for this, so why aren't they making a bigger effort to find my father?" I ask furiously.

" I don't know honey." She says sadly.

Unable to watch anymore of Ella's suffering, I storm out of the room.

" Ezra!" She calls out.

I turn around to see what she wants.

" Where are you going?" Ells asks nervously.

" I want Aria back, and the police aren't doing anything to make that happen. If they won't investigate this, I will." I say angrily.

" Please don't do anything you'll regret." Ella begs me.

" I'm going to make my father regret ever laying hands on Aria." I say as I sprint to my car.

Line Break

I arrive at the house that I grew up in, terrible memories begin to resurface. To my dismay, no police cars are investing the area. They really are making little effort to save Aria, and bring her back to Ella and Byron. I enter the abandoned house through the back door, which is surprisingly unlocked. I walk up stairs to my father's bedroom and look around for hours. I find nothing significant and I'm about to give up, but a crumbled piece of paper on the floor catches my eye. How did I not see this before?

The paper reads: I found the perfect place to take Byron's daughter. It's an abandon cabin about an hour outside of Rosewood. The address is 31705 Moonlight Way.

This is the key to saving Aria! I immediately dial 911 and get a response immediately.

" This is 911 what's your emergency?" A woman asks.

" I found something linked to the Aria Montgomery investigation." I say eagerly.

" I'll put you on the line with the head investigator Darren Wilden. " The woman tells me.

" Hello?" A man says.

" Hello, I'm Ezra Fitz. I'm Aria Montgomery's boyfriend and the son of Robert Fitz. I found a note written to my father from his cousin saying where they are keeping Aria!" I say frantically.

" Where did you find this note?" Wilden asks skeptically.

" In my old house." I tell him.

" I'm sorry, but we don't trust information given to us by children of lead suspects." He says cruelly.

" I'm telling the truth!" I say furiously.

" You're a teenager, and this case is for adults." He tells me.

" What have you adults done to help Aria?" I snap.

Wilden hangs up the phone rudely. If he won't check this place out, I will. I go to my dad's office and open the drawer where he keeps his gun. I tremble in fear when I realize that the gun is gone.

Aria's POV

I lie alone in the basement shivering. I don't know how long it's been since I arrived in this house, but I don't really care anymore. I don't care about anything anymore, in fact I try not to feel anything. I haven't had any good feelings since my fake honeymoon with Ezra. All of my feelings since that fateful night have been bad, and it's better to not feel anything than to have bad feelings. I try not to think about the people I love such as my parents, my brother, my friends, and Ezra. It just makes me miss them, and there is no point in missing them since I'll never see any of them again. I wonder if they miss me. Don't think about that Aria! I shutter when I see Robert Fitz enter my secluded room. For the most part Robert Fitz and Derek Black leave me alone, but there are those times when they want something from me. He stares at my naked body with lust, but before he can do anything to me Derek Black rushes into the room.

" Ezra's car is in the driveway." Derek says nervously.

" WHAT!" Robert shouts hysterically.

The thought of Ezra being here lightens my heavy heart.

" Ezra." I whisper softly.

" Shut up you little brat! How the Hell did he find us?" Robert asks furiously.

" I don't know." Derek says shaking his head.

" Derek, go get the gun from my room." Robert says as Derek rushes off.

" Don't you dare say a word." Robert says before punching me in the stomach.

I let out a soft cry and nod my head.

" Your Knight in shinning armor just dug both of your graves." Robert tells me with an evil smirk.

**What did you all think? I know, that was a cruel way to end the chapter. The more reviews I get the faster I will update. Thank you for reading!**


	21. No Escape

Ezra's POV

I sneak into the abandoned cabin through an open window on the first story. As soon as I enter the cabin I see Derek and my father walking towards the window from the opposite direction. I duck down so they don't see me, luckily they aren't aware of my presence.

" Let's look for Ezra in the front yard, I doubt he found a way inside." Robert tells Derek.

I smile triumphantly as they walk away. Now to the second order of business, finding Aria. Where would I put someone who I was trying to keep hidden? The basement! I sprint down stairs to where I assume they are keeping Aria. My instincts are right, I find Aria naked and chained to a wall.

" Ezra!" She says though her heavy sobs.

" Sh-sh it's okay. You're safe now, I won't let them hurt you anymore." I say as I wrap my arms around Aria lovingly.

I cover her exposed body with my sweatshirt so she doesn't feel uncomfortable. To my dismay, Aria begins to sob even harder.

" Stop crying love, everything is okay." I say as I kiss her on the cheek.

Aria shakes her head vigorously and says, " No it's not, they are going to kill both of us."

" I'll protect you, I promise." I assure her.

" Your dad has a gun Ezra!" Aria tells me.

" We have to get out of here before they find us." I tell Aria.

" I can't, I'm handcuffed to the wall." Aria reminds me.

I angrily tug on the chains, but they don't budge.

" There's no use Ezra. I'm going to die it's inevitable, but you can still escape." Aria says as I wipe away her tears.

" I love you so much Aria. I would rather die than spend another day away from you." I tell her passionately.

" Please leave me Ezra, I can't let anything happen to you!" Aria begs me.

" I'm not going to do that." I say to her.

" I'm so sorry that I didn't believe you." Aria says as she sobs into my chest.

" I'm sorry I let my father do this to you." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.

" I love you, no matter what happens." Aria tells me.

" I love you too. Forever and always." I say as I hold her trembling body in my arms.

" Call the police, they're our only hope." Aria suggests.

I immediately dial 911.

" This is 911 what is your emergency?" The woman asks.

" This is Ezra Fitz, I'm with Aria Montgomery in a secluded cabin on 31705 Moonlight Way. Her kidnappers have a gun, and our lives are in danger." I tell the woman.

" We are coming over, stay out of sight." The woman says sternly.

" That isn't possible, Aria is handcuffed to a wall." I explain to the woman.

" Try to buy yourself as much time as possible." The woman tells me.

" Yes ma'am" I say politely.

" You two hang tight." She says before hanging up the phone.

Aria gives me a small smile. I pull her bruised body closer to me and kiss her harder than I ever have knowing it might be the last kiss we share.

Aria breaks the kiss and gasps when we hear the door open, I hold on to Aria as tightly as I can.

" Well, well, well, if it isn't Romeo and Juliet." My father says with a smirk.

" How did you find us?" Derek asks.

" You left a paper in your house with the address." I explain.

" You're going to have to pay for this." My dad tells me furiously.

" I know this doesn't mean much to you, but I am your son. If you have even a small amount of love for me hidden deep inside of your heart, please don't hurt Aria. Do anything you want to me, but please leave her alone." I beg.

" I don't love you, I hate you!" My dad says furiously.

" Why?" I ask trying to hide the hurt that I'm feeling.

" You killed your mother, she was the only woman whom I've ever loved besides Ella Montgomery." My dad says cooly.

" I didn't kill Mom, she left you remember?" I ask annoyed.

" The woman who raised you wasn't actually your mom. She was your mom's sister who insisted on taking care of you." My dad tells me.

" What happened to my real mom?" I ask confused.

" She died giving birth to you stupid!" My dad yells hysterically.

" I killed my mother, no wonder you hate me." I say ashamed.

" Don't listen to him, it's not your fault." Aria says trying to convince me.

" It is most definitely your fault! If only I lost you instead of her." Robert says as he pulls out his gun.

I look at Aria's beautiful face one last time, knowing that this is the end.

" Lucky for one of you, there is only one bullet left in this gun." My dad says with a smirk.

" Shoot me, not her." I tell Derek and my father.

" Why should I let you off that easy? I want you to watch the woman who you love so dearly die right in front of you. I had to go through that because of you, and now it's your turn." My dad says as he aims his gun at Aria and pulls the trigger.

It happens so fast that I don't have time to say anything, instead I push Aria away and take the gun shot for her. The bullet hits me on the side of my body, and it doesn't take long before my blood begins to ooze out. I'm probably going to die, but it's okay. My dad is out of bullets and the police are on their way, Aria is going to be okay.

" Ezra!" Aria cries out as she holds on to me desperately.

She takes of my shirt and wraps it around my wound. My father and Derek look at her furiously, but don't do anything.

" Please say with me Ezra, I can't lose you." She says as she flings her body on top of mine.

" I love you Aria, you'll never lose me." I say as her beautiful face begins to fade away.

Aria's POV

I watch fearfully as Ezra's beautiful blue eyes begin to shut. So much blood is pouring out of his seemingly lifeless body.

" Are you bastards happy!" I scream at Robert and Derek.

They stare at me paralyzed with fear. I've never felt so hurt and so angry at the same time. Moments later a group of policemen break down the door.

" Are you okay?" A concerned officer asks me.

I shake my head sadly.

" What's going on here." Another officer asks me.

" Those two men kidnapped me, they tried to shoot me but he jumped in front of me. Ezra Fitz saved my life." I say through my sobs.

" Everything is okay Miss." A man tells me gently.

" Please help him!" I say gesturing towards Ezra.

Two paramedics put Ezra on a stretcher. An officer removes my handcuffs and gives me a blanket while two other officers handcuff Robert and Derek.

" We just called your parents." The man who helped me says.

" I want my mom." I whimper.

" She is meeting us at the hospital." He tells me.

" Can I go with Ezra?" I ask hopefully.

" No, we need to ask you a few questions." Another man tells me.

" For goodness sakes Wilden! Hasn't this poor girl been through enough today?" The kind man snaps.

" Fine, go with him." Wilden says cooly.

" Thank you." I say gratefully.

" Is Ezra going to survive?" I ask a paramedic.

" It doesn't look like it sweetie." She tells me sympathetically.

**What did you think of this chapter? Please review and thanks for reading. I'll be at soccer camp for two weeks, so the updates might not be very frequent until I return. I'll do my best to update sometime next week, especially if I get a lot of reviews :).**


	22. Good News or Bad?

Aria's POV

Tears pour out of my eyes as I clutch Ezra's hand in the ambulance. The paramedics are doing their best to prevent Ezra from losing more blood. He is dying, and it is all my fault. I wish Ezra hadn't taken the bullet for me, I can't bear to watch him die right in front of me. I finally understand the seemingly evil Robert Fitz. He is angry and in pain. Robert is angry at the world and transfers that anger towards Ezra and my father.

Atticus Finch was right when he said," You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

My anger at Robert Fitz still exists, but the pity that I have for him is much grater. Losing someone who you love is horrible, but so is being bitter and losing the capability to love. Different emotions swarm through my body as I look at Ezra including love, hurt, fear, and anger.

" Why did you have to inflict this much pain on me?" I ask Ezra.

I obviously don't get a response, and I continue to stare at him silently.

" I still love you, nothing will ever change that." I say as kiss his cheek gently.

My parents are waiting for me when the ambulance arrives at the hospital. Tears of joy and sorrow fill their eyes when they see me.

" Mom, Dad!" I say as I run into my father's arms.

" Thank God!" My father says as he begins to weep.

My mom pulls me into her arms and begins to rub my back gently. Her loving actions cause me to cry even more.

" Don't cry sweetheart, you're safe now." My dad tells me.

" Where is Ezra?" My mom asks me.

" H-he is still in the ambulance." I manage to say.

" Are you two okay?" My dad asks.

" I am thanks to Ezra. Robert tried to shoot me, but Ezra shielded me from the bullet." I say as I cry into my mother's chest.

" I'm going to kill that man." My dad says hysterically.

" Not now Byron." My mom says as I smile at her gratefully.

" Don't worry Aria, I'm going to make sure that Ezra gets the best treatment possible." My dad assures me.

" Are you Aria Montgomery?" A paramedic asks me.

I nod my head nervously.

" The doctor wants to take a look at you." He tells me.

" I-I can't, I need to stay with Ezra." I tell the man.

" You need to go with him Aria, we will stay with Ezra." My mom tells me.

" No." I stay stubbornly.

" You could be seriously hurt Aria!" My dad says worried.

" Fine." I as I walk with the paramedic.

Line break

I lay in my hospital bed sadly as my doctor continues to run tests on me.

" I'll be right back." The doctor says as he leaves the room.

A smile spreads across my face when Mike enters my hospital room.

" Mike." I say as he wraps his arms around me.

" I've missed you Ar." He says as he kisses my forehead.

" I've missed you too." I tell him.

" Mom and Dad were so worried about you." He says sadly.

Silence follows his remark.

" How is Ezra?" I ask nervously.

" He is doing incredibly well. The bullet didn't damage any of his major organs, and the doctors are prepping him for surgery." Mike tells me.

" Will he survive." I ask.

" It's to soon to tell Sis." He says sympathetically.

" Thank you for being here with me." I say appreciatively.

" Of course. Mom wants to know if you want her here." Mike says to me.

" Tell her to stay with Ezra." I say to him.

" Okay." Mike says as he pulls out his phone.

The doctor enters my room with a worried expression, I can immediately tell that something is wrong.

" Is everything okay?" Mike asks him.

" I'm afraid I have some very big news for you Mrs. Montgomery." The doctor tells me nervously.

" What is it?" I ask terrified.

" The tests have confirmed that you're pregnant." He says sympathetically.

" Pr-pregnant!" I shocked.

Mike hugs me tightly as I try to comprehend the situation. I'm pregnant with Robert or Derek's child, I can hardly bear the news.

" You're about a month along." The doctor tells me.

" A month? She was only gone for two weeks." Mike says shocked.

" The baby is Ezra's!" I say relieved.

" I'll leave you two alone." The doctor says as he leaves the room.

"Congratulations." Mike says as he hugs me.

" I'm so happy Mike. If I lose Ezra, I'll still have his little boy." I tell him.

" What makes you so sure you're having a boy?" Mike asks confused.

" I can just feel it." I say confidently.

" I'm going to go get Mom and Dad so you can tell them the good news." Mike says as he leaves the hospital room.

I smile to myself happily, Mom and Dad can't be angry at Ezra after he saved my life. I guess one good thing did come out of this disastrous situation!

Ezra's POV

I'm alone on a secluded beach, and it's not long before a beautiful woman approaches me.

"Mom?" I say instinctively.

" Hello Ezra." She says as she wraps her loving arms around me.

" I'm so sorry." I say ashamed.

" Don't be sorry, my death wasn't your fault." She assures me.

" Am I dying?" I ask her.

My mother nods her head slowly.

" I'm not upset, it's beautiful up here. Everything seems so easy and peaceful." I say with a sigh.

" Have you forgotten about Aria?" She asks me angrily.

" Aria. How do you know Aria?" I ask confused.

" I'm always watching you Ezra." She says with a mischievous smile.

" To answer your question, no I haven't forgotten about Aria. Every aching bone in my tired body longs for me to hold her again." I say sadly.

" You need to stay alive for her. Aria needs you, especially now." My mom says seriously.

" Why does she need me any more than she did before?" I ask.

" Aria's pregnant with your son." My mom says seriously.

" Oh my gosh!" I say joyfully.

" You need to stay alive for them." My mom tells me.

" Can I control if I'm going to live or die?" I ask.

" Not entirely, but you need to stay strong Ezra." She says to me.

" I will. I'll do everything that I can to stay alive for Aria and the baby." I assure her.

" That's my boy. Aria is one lucky girl." My mom says as she kisses my forehead.

" I love you Mom." I say as I hug her.

" I love you too Ezra." She says.

" Will you stay with me? I'm afraid." I confess.

" Of course I will." She tells me.

**What did you think? Sorry for not updating sooner , but I've been at soccer camp. I don't get back for another week so updates won't be as frequent. More reviews= faster updates!**


	23. Not a Little Girl

Ella's POV

Byron and I sit beside Ezra's bedside and stare at him gratefully. If it hadn't been for Ezra, I would have lost my baby girl.

" I never thought I'd say this, but I'm warming up to Ezra Fitz." Byron tells me.

Our son Mike enters the hospital room moments later.

" Is everything okay Mike?" I ask him anxiously.

" Aria needs to talk with you both." Mike tells us.

" Come on Ella." Byron says as he rushes out of the room.

I immediately wrap my arms around my daughter when I see her lying alone in her hospital bed.

" Is everything okay Princess?" Byron asks her nervously.

Aria gives us slight smile and nods her head slowly.

" Ezra is doing a lot better." I tell Aria.

" Thank God!" Aria says as she sighs in relief.

" You should tell them Aria." Mike says to her.

" I was about to!" Aria says annoyed.

" Tell us what?" I ask confused.

" I'm pregnant." Aria says avoiding eye contact.

" Oh honey!" I say sympathetically.

Poor Aria will have to carry a monster's baby! She could get an abortion, but I know Aria won't want to do that. I can literally see Byron's eyes popping out of his head.

" I'm going to kill Robert Fitz!" Byron screams hysterically.

" Dad it isn't Robert's baby, it's Ezra's." Aria says timidly.

I struggle to find the right words to express what I'm feeling. Byron and I stare at our daughter, wondering when she stopped being our little girl.

" Please say something." Aria says weakly.

" Congratulations." Byron tells Aria.

I stare at my husband shocked. I can't believe he is taking this so well! A month ago he wanted Ezra's head on a silver platter. It's crazy how much a single event can change someone so much.

" You're not mad?" Aria asks her father.

" How can I be mad at someone whom I love so much?" Byron asks as he hugs our daughter.

" Mom?" Aria asks as she looks into my eyes fearfully.

" I almost lost you Aria and it made me realize how much I love you. As long as you're happy, I am happy too." I say as I kiss Aria's forehead.

" I am so happy." Aria says as she begins to tear up.

" I owe you an apology Aria. I shouldn't have judged Ezra so harshly, and I should have trusted you." Byron tells our daughter.

" The same thing goes for me." I say ashamed.

" You were only trying to protect me." Aria tells us.

" When did you grow up?" I ask Aria.

" I don't know." She says chuckling.

" Your mother and I will take care of you until Ezra gets better." Byron says as he kisses our daughter's forehead lovingly.

" What if Ezra doesn't get better?" Aria asks us fearfully.

" He will, I know he will." Byron assures Aria.

" The baby already has a mother, uncle, and two grandparents who love him or her very much." I tell Aria.

" It's a boy." Aria says confidently.

" The doctors can't tell until you're at least four months along." Byron tells Aria.

" I can." Aria says with a smile.

For the first time since her abduction, I realize how weak and tired Aria looks.

" You need to get some sleep." I tell her suddenly.

" I can't sleep until I find out what's going on with Ezra." Aria says determined.

" Listen to your mother Aria, you're carrying a child." Byron tells her seriously.

" Fine." Aria says dramatically.

I stroke Aria's long hair until I hear her snoring softly.

" She looks so tired." Byron says as he begins to tear up.

" She is fine, don't worry." I tell my husband softly.

Aria's POV

_I am alone in a dark basement with Derek and Robert. They shove me against a bed roughly, and I begin to cry._

_" Stop it! No!" I shout terrified._

_" _You're okay Aria." My dad tells me as my eyes flutter open.

I let my father hold me in his arms while I continue to sob.

" I can't believe I let Robert Fitz hurt you." My dad says obviously shaken.

I'm to upset and terrified to respond.

" It's not going to happen again I promise." He assures me.

" I know." I tell him.

" If you'll excuse me, I have something to take care of." Byron says as he bolts out of the room.

When my father opens the door, I see Hanna, Spencer, and Emily in the waiting room.

" Get in here!" I shout frantically.

" Your mom says you need to rest." Emily tells me.

" It can wait." I assure them.

" If you say so." Hanna says with a shrug.

It isn't long before the girls are standing around my hospital bed.

" How much did my mom tell you?" I ask the girls nervously.

" Just that Ezra Fitz saved your life! That's so romantic Aria!" Hanna says excitedly.

" It would be even more romantic if he wasn't at risk of dying." I say rudely.

All three of them stare at me shocked, I'm never this harsh.

" I'm sorry Hanna." I say apologetically.

" You've been through Hell and back, don't worry I understand." Hanna says with a slight smile.

" That's no excuse for me to treat you that way. The truth is, I've been a little hormonal lately." I say hoping someone would catch on.

" That's understandable, I'm sure being locked in a basement is horrible." Spencer says sympathetically.

" It was, but that's not really the problem." I tell them.

" Oh my gosh! Are you pregnant Aria?" Emily asks as her eyes grow wide with shock.

" Yes!" I say with a smile.

" You seem happy, I bet it's Ezra's." Hanna exclaims.

" You're right!" I tell Hanna.

" Did you tell your parents?" Spencer asks me.

" Yes, they took the news surprisingly well." I tell the girls.

" You better make me the baby's godmother!" Hanna tells me enthusiastically.

" No, I'm the godmother." Spencer says confidently.

" Stop fighting! My baby will have three godmothers." I decide.

Emily, Spencer, and Hanna cheer happily. It isn't long before my mother breaks up our little party.

" What are you girls doing in here? I told you that Aria needs her rest." My mom says frustrated.

" I let them in Mom." I tell her.

" You and the baby need rest!" My mom tells me sternly.

" We can come back later." Spencer says as she hugs me.

Emily and Hanna give me hugs, and follow Spencer and my mom out to the hallway. I stare at my stomach and smile to myself. I can't believe I have a little person growing inside of me! It's actually pretty incredible.

" I love you so much baby." I say as I rub my growing belly.

**This was a bit of a filler chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it! Some major drama is going to go down in the next chapter. Where do you think Byron went when he left Aria so suddenly? Thanks for reading and please review :)!**


	24. Love vs Hate

Byron's POV

I arrive at Radley, the mental institution where Robert Fitz is staying until his trial.

" Can I help you?" The guard asks me.

" I'm here to see Robert Fitz." I tell him.

" What's your name Sir?' The man asks me.

" Byron Montgomery." I tell the man.

" I'll see if Robert Fitz is willing to see you." The guard says as he scurries away.

Less than a moment later, the guard is back.

" This way Byron." The guard says as he leads me to Robert's room.

The guard leaves us alone while I stare at the man who kidnapped my daughter.

" I can't believe they're letting you stay here, you deserve to die in prison." I tell Robert hatefully.

" You're probably right." He says with no emotion.

" Why did you do it?" I ask Robert suddenly.

" What?" He asks confused.

" Everything! You killed my brother-in-law, kidnapped my daughter, and shot your son." I remind him.

" I was aiming for Aria, Ezra took the bullet for her." He says flatly.

" Your son is alive by the way." I tell Robert cooly.

" I killed Ella's brother because I was upset that my girlfriend ran off with my best friend. I kidnapped Aria for a number of reasons. I hate you and Ezra, and I thought it would hurt you." He starts to say.

" Congratulations, you hurt me more than I thought someone could hurt." I say bitterly.

" Would you let me finish? I also did it because I'm in love with your wife. I couldn't have Ella, but Aria was the next best thing. She is so beautiful, youthful, and innocent." Robert says with a smile.

" You're sick!" I say in disgust.

" I tried to shoot Aria because I wanted Ezra to feel the pain that I felt when he killed my wife." Robert tells me.

" You don't actually blame him for that do you?" I ask Robert.

" Who else is there to blame?" Robert asks with a sad smile.

I shake my head, unable to answer his question.

" Aria is pregnant." I say suddenly.

" Is it mine?" Robert asks me.

" It's Ezra's." I say avoiding eye contact.

" Wow! Who would have thought that we would share a grandchild?" Robert asks amused.

" We aren't sharing a grandchild. I'm going to make sure that you're as far away from him and Aria as possible." I say as I clutch the knife that I'm carrying inside of my pocket.

" I know why your here, you want me gone." Robert says flatly.

I don't respond, I simply pull the knife out of my pocket.

" If you want to kill me go ahead, but let me ask you one question first." Robert demands.

" What?" I ask furiously.

" Do you love Aria?" He asks me seriously.

" Do I love Aria? What kind of question is that? Of course I love her, she is my daughter!" I say shocked.

" If you really love Aria you won't kill me." Robert says to me.

" Don't you understand? I'm killing you because I love Aria." I say to him.

" That's a lie." Robert says flatly.

" It's not a lie! My daughter wakes up crying over nightmares because of the horror that you put her through. I can't let you hurt her or my family ever again." I say furiously.

" How am I going to hurt Aria from prison?" He asks me.

Robert leaves me speechless.

" This isn't about protecting Aria or the baby, it's about getting revenge on me." Robert says with a smile.

" Maybe it is! You put my family though Hell, and I hate you for that!" I scream hysterically.

" I understand that, but if you love Aria you won't kill me." Robert says calmly.

" How will killing you hurt Aria?" I ask confused.

" You'll end up in prison, and that would devastate Aria. She needs you in her life, especially now that she is pregnant." He tells me softly.

I look at Robert confused. Since when does he care about Aria?

" So what's stronger Byron? The love that you have for Aria, or the hatred that you have for me? You get to make that decision." Robert says with a smirk.

I stare at my knife, and then back at Robert.

Aria's POV

Ezra is finally strong enough to undergo surgery. In less than twenty-four hours I'll know if I have to live without my soul-mate, and if my son will have to live without his father. I sit with the girl and my mother in the waiting room, terrified of having to face reality.

My mom senses my anxiety and says," Ezra will be fine Aria."

" Your mom is right Aria, the doctors are almost sure of it." Emily tells me gently.

" I just have a feeling that something really bad is about to happen." I say sadly.

" You're freaking yourself out and it needs to stop! This stress isn't good for the baby." Spencer tells me sternly.

" You're right." I say to Spencer.

" What are you going to name the baby?" Hanna asks me suddenly.

" I don't know, I want to talk to Ezra about it before I make any major decisions." I tell my mom and the girls.

" I bet you can't wait to tell Ezra the good news." Emily says excitedly.

" I'm actually a bit nervous." I confess.

" Why? If Ezra didn't want the baby, he should have been much more careful." Hanna says seriously.

Emil and Spencer burst into a fit of giggles, while my mother looks at me uncomfortably before clearing her throat.

" What? How did you think that Aria and Ezra conceived the baby?" Hanna asks my mother.

This time my mom laughs along with the girls and my cheeks turn bright red. My mom's laughter dies when she sees a police man approaching us.

" Are you Aria and Ella Montgomery?" He asks us gently.

" Yes." My mom replies nervously.

" Robert Fitz is dead." He tells us softly.

" D-dead?" My mom stutters.

My dad's words play replay in my head, " I'm going to kill Robert Fitz."

I know what must have happened, my dad killed Robert to protect me! He will spend the rest of his life in prison because of me! I break down when I think of having to live without my father.

" Was it my dad?" I ask the police man terrified.

" Aria -"He starts to say.

" Tell me it wasn't him! Please tell me it wasn't him." I say through my tears.

**What did ya think? I'd love to know what your reactions are so please review! Does anyone have any suggestions for baby names? Thanks for reading :).**


	25. Together at Last

Aria's POV

" Aria honey please calm down." My mom says as she holds me in her arms.

" Did my father kill Robert Fitz?" I ask the police man for the third time.

The police man shakes his head slowly before saying, "Robert Fitz jumped out of his window at Radley."

" Thank God it wasn't my dad." I say relieved.

Right as I say this, my dad enters the hospital room. I run into his arms and begin to cry into his chest like I did when I was a little girl.

" What's wrong sweetheart?" He asks me gently.

" Robert Fitz is dead, and I though you killed him." I say through my tears.

" Robert is dead?" My dad asks as he turns completely white.

I nod my head before saying, "He jumped out of his window at Radley."

" I just came from Radley." My dad says still in shock.

" What were you doing there?" I ask confused.

" I was going to do something that would have hurt you, but Robert Fitz saved me from making the biggest mistake of my life." My dad says softly.

" What were you going to do?" I ask curiously.

" I was going to kill him." My dad tells me.

" Thank God you didn't." I say as I begin to sob harder.

" The love that I have for you is stronger than the hate that I have for him." My dad tells me as he rubs my back absent-mindedly.

" I love you too." I tell my father.

" How is Ezra?" My dad asks me.

" We haven't heard anything." I say as I shake my head.

" That's a good sign I think." My dad says hesitantly.

" Poor Ezra doesn't have a Mom or a Dad." I say sadly.

" He has you, and that's better than anyone as far as I'm concerned." My dad says as he smiles at me.

Line Break

I sit with my parents, Mike, and the girls in the waiting room. Ezra's surgery started over fifteen hours ago and we still haven't heard anything. I tap my foot against the floor anxiously as I stare at the door.

" I'm sure we will hear something soon enough." My dad tells me.

" I'm not sure if I can handle it." I admit.

Moments later Hardy and Caleb burst into the waiting room. They both look incredibly sad and are wearing sunglasses to cover their eyes.

" Caleb!" Hanna shouts as she runs into her boyfriend's arms.

" Have we heard anything about Ezra?" Caleb asks me nervously.

I shake my head sadly and stare at the ground. Hardy and Caleb probably hate me, I'm the reason that Ezra got shot.

" Hang in there Aria." Hardy says as he walks over to me and rubs my back gently.

" You too." I say as I shoot him a grateful smile.

Caleb takes a seat next to Hanna and Hardy sits next to me. The only sound that one can hear in the grey waiting room is the sound of the group's heavy breathing. After what seems like eternity a young nurse enters the waiting room. My father immediately gets out of his seat and greats the nurse.

" I'm Byron Montgomery." He says as he extends a hand.

" Are you related to Ezra Fitz?" She asks him.

" He is my son-in-law." Byron tells the nurse.

I gasp at my fathers words, since when does my father refer to Ezra as his son-in-law?

" Is his wife here?" The nurse asks my father.

" She is right there." My dad says as he gestures to where I am sitting.

" Ezra just got out of surgery. None of us expected him to make it, but Ezra made a miraculous recovery." The nurse tells me with a smile.

Tears of joy and relief pour out of my eyes.

" Can I see him?" I ask hopefully.

" The doctors are still stitching him up, but you can see him as soon as they finish." She tells me.

I nod my head still in shock.

" I can't believe it!" My dad says with a huge smile.

" You referred to Ezra as your son-in-law, I thought our marriage wasn't legal." I say confused.

" It wasn't legal without a guardians permission because you haven't turned eighteen yet. Your mother and I sighed all the wedding documents this morning, so you are now legally ." My dad says as a big smile spreads across his face.

" Wow!" Is all I can manage to say.

I hug my parents gratefully until the nurse renters the room.

" He is unconscious, but you are welcome to see your husband." The nurse tells me.

I nod my head and let her lead me to Ezra's hospital room. I tear up at the sight of Ezra laying in the room unconsciously. I immediately run up to Ezra and kiss his soft lips lovingly. His beautiful blue eyes flutter open right as I do so.

Ezra's POV

I wake up with the love of my life's lips locked on mine. Aria breaks the kiss and stares at me speechless.

" Where are we?" I ask her confused.

" The hospital, you saved my life Ezra." Aria tells me as she wraps her arms around me.

" I remember seeing that bullet flying in your direction." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.

" No one thought you were going to survive, but you made a miraculous recovery." Aria says as she starts to cry.

" Don't cry love, it's okay." I say as I hug Aria.

" I've just missed you." Aria tells me.

" Please come lay with me." I beg her.

Aria lays in my hospital bed with me and rests her head on my chest.

" How long have I been out?" I ask her.

" Nearly two weeks." Aria says as she runs her hands through my hair.

" Did I miss anything?" I ask her curiously.

Aria chuckles before saying, "It's like you've been gone for years."

" Fill me in." I say to her.

" Well my parents finally accepted our relationship." She tells me.

" They accepted it when I told them about my father's plans." I tell Aria.

" When did that happen?" Aria asks me confused.

" After my father took you. We really have been apart for a long time." I say sadly.

" My parents signed our wedding papers, so we are legally married!" Aria tells me with a smile.

A huge smile spreads across my face.

" I have the most beautiful wife in the world! I can't wait for our second honeymoon." I say with a grin.

A nervous look washes over Aria's face and her shoulders tense up.

" I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have suggested that after my father and Derek Black forced you to sleep with them." I say apologetically.

" It's fine." Aria says with a small smile.

" We still have a lot of obstacles that we need to over come don't we?" I ask Aria.

She nods her head slowly.

" Let's not worry about anything now. I just want to hold you in my arms for as long as possible." I tell Aria.

" That sounds wonderful." Aria says as she snuggles closer to me.

We stay in that position for nearly half an hour while we enjoy each other's company. The room remains completely silent. It isn't an awkward or sad silence, but rather a happy and peaceful silence.

Aria suddenly breaks the silence and says, " Ezra I'm pregnant."

" I know." I whisper to her.

"How?" She asks confused.

" My mom told me." I explain.

" Your mom?" Aria asks me confused.

" She visited me sometime when I was out and told me about the baby. I know it sounds pretty crazy." I say slightly embarrassed.

Aria shakes her head before saying, "I think it's incredible."

" Do you have any idea how much I love you?" I ask her in amazement.

" I think I have a pretty good idea." Aria says before she kisses me tenderly.

**Ezra is finally awake! What did you think of this chapter? Thanks for reading and please review :).**


	26. Afraid but Never Alone

Ezra's POV

I sit in my hospital room with Hardy and Caleb.

"So let me get this straight, you saved Aria's life?" Hardy asks in amazement.

I nod my head slowly.

"That was brave." Caleb tells me.

"I wasn't really worried about dying, I was only worried about protecting Aria." I tell them.

"Dude, you're going to get super laid for this." Hardy says enthusiastically.

"I doubt it." I say quietly.

"Why? You saved Aria's life, and she is already pregnant." Caleb reminds me.

"Aria is still in a very fragile state." I tell them.

Hardy and Caleb get the message and shut up.

"Are you moving in with Aria?" Caleb asks me.

"We haven't discussed it yet, but I hope so!" I tell them.

"We should get going, but we will see you tomorrow." Hardy says to me.

"See you guys." I say as they leave the room.

Joy fills my body when I see Aria enter the hospital room.

"Hey babe." Aria says as she gives me a little kiss.

"How are you feeling?" I ask Aria as she sits on the bed.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" She asks chuckling.

"I'm not the one who is pregnant." I remind her.

"I'm not the one who got shot." Aria says.

My shoulders tense up and an apologetic look washes over Aria's face.

"I should not have said that." Aria says as she stares at the ground.

"Ignoring the problem won't make it go away." I say as I wrap my arms around Aria lovingly.

Aria lays her head on my chest and runs her fingers through my hair.

"I hope my father spends the rest of his life in prison. I never want him to hurt you again." I say as I stroke Aria's dark hair.

Aria stares at me uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry, am I hurting you?" I ask concerned.

Aria shakes her head before asking, "You really don't know?"

"Are you not comfortable with me touching you or something?" I ask confused.

"That's not it." She tells me.

"What's going on?" I ask her.

"Your father is dead Ezra." She tells me gently.

"D-dead?" I mutter.

"I'm so sorry." Aria says softly.

My whole body goes completely numb with shock.

"How did he die?" I ask curiously.

"He jumped out of his window at Radley." Aria tells me.

I clear my throat and look away.

"I know, it's horrible." She says sadly.

"How the Hell can you even say that?" I ask her angrily.

"Excuse me?" She asks hurt.

"That monster kidnapped and raped you and you feel sorry for him." I say in disgust.

"I know that your father did horrible things to me, but I still wouldn't wish that upon him." Aria says defensively.

"I'm happy he did it." I tell Aria.

" You know that's not true Ezra." Aria argues.

"We almost died because of him." I say bitterly.

"I know, but he was your father." Aria reminds me.

"I don't care, I hate him." I tell Aria passionately.

"You don't have to put on an act for me Ezra. You can cry if you're feeling sad." She tells me softly.

"I felt sad every time my father got drunk when I came home from school, he would literally beat me until I threw up. I felt even worse when my dad told me that he had you locked up. Do you know what he said to me Aria? He told me that I would never see you again, and that I should consider myself lucky because you were his new punching bag. Him pointing a gun at your face takes the cake though! Is that what you wanted to hear Aria?" I scream hysterically.

Aria looks at me shocked, I'm never this harsh towards her.

"You can't control what I'm feeling Aria, you don't even know me." I tell her cooly.

"I don't know you? Really Ezra? You're my husband and the father of my child." Aria reminds me.

Aria tries to hide the hurt that she is feeling, but I can see right through her mask.

"I'm so sorry Aria." I say apologetically.

"So am I." Aria says as she stares at the ground.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, you were only trying to help me." I say as I pull Aria in for a hug.

"I just worry about you." She tells me softly.

"I worry about you too." I say before kissing her gently.

Aria's chin begins to quiver and I can tell that she is trying to hold back tears.

"How are you doing with all of this?" I ask her softly.

"Okay." She says as a single tear rolls down her face.

"Just lay with me." I whisper to her.

Aria's POV

"I know you're hurting Aria." Ezra says suddenly.

"And you're not?" I ask with an eye roll.

"I never said I wasn't." Ezra says with a chuckle.

"I wish you would talk to me about it." I say with a sigh.

"What if I'm a terrible father?" Ezra blurts out.

"You, a terrible father? That's crazy! You're the most gentle and loving person that I know." I assure him.

"I'm afraid I'll turn into my dad." Ezra tells me sadly.

"You're nothing like him Ezra." I say as I rub his back.

"I'm terrified Aria." Ezra says as a tears rolls down his face.

"I'm not. You're becoming a man in ways your father never was." I say as I wipe away his tears.

"I just love you so much, and I don't want to hurt you." Ezra says to me.

"You don't hurt me, you complete me." I tell him gently.

"Likewise." Ezra says as he strokes my hair.

"I'm nervous about becoming a mother." I confess.

"Great, who's going to take care of our kid?" Ezra jokes.

I giggle and kiss his forehead lovingly.

"I'm just kidding Aria. You're going to make the world's best mother." Ezra tells me seriously.

"Thanks." I say with a small smile.

"My father and Derek really hurt you Aria. I want you to tell me if anything is bothering you." Ezra says concerned.

"I know I'm safe now, but I get scared sometimes." I whimper.

"You're much braver than I am." Ezra chuckles.

"Are you kidding? You took a bullet for me!" I remind him.

"That wasn't out of bravery it was out of fear." Ezra confesses.

"What were you afraid of?" I ask him confused.

"Loosing you." Ezra says softly.

**What did you think? This story is coming to an end very soon, and I'm probably going to write 1-2 more chapters. Please review and tell me how you'd like to see the story end :).**


	27. Romeo and Juliet

**Eight months later**

Ezra's POV

I lay with Aria in her bedroom as I rub her swollen stomach.

"How are you feeling?" I ask her gently.

"Pregnant and tired." Aria says with a yawn.

"Close your eyes, I'll stay here with you." I say as I kiss Aria lovingly.

It isn't long before I hear Aria snoring softly. I chuckle and cover her body with a blanket. Aria is about eight and a half months pregnant and she is due any day now. Things have worked out surprisingly well for us. I graduate from high school in four months and Aria has already finished her courses online. Both of us will be attending Hollis next Fall, and we are living with Ella and Byron until the baby is born. Aria's parents have accepted me into the family and have no hard feeling towards me. Derek Black is in jail for kidnapping and raping Aria, and will spend the rest of his life there. It's nice knowing that Derek and my father won't harm Aria ever again. She still gets scared and has nightmares sometimes, but Aria has done a great job of moving on from the experience.

"Goodnight my beautiful wife." I whisper as I turn the lights off and close my eyes.

About four hours later I hear a shrill scream ring out in the small room.

"Ezra!" I hear Aria cry.

"What is it love?" I ask terrified.

"My water just broke." I hear Aria whimper.

"Stay here, I'm getting your parents." I say as I sprint out of the room.

"Ella, Byron!" I shout as I barge into their bedroom.

"It's three o'clock in the morning!" Byron says angrily.

"Aria is in labor." I shout anxiously.

Byron and Ella both jolt out of bed and sprint to Aria's room.

"Oh my gosh!" Byron says as he stares as his moaning daughter.

"I can't believe this is happening." I say in shock.

" It's happening, now please help me!" Aria says in annoyance.

"I'll get the car started. Ella gather some of Aria's things, and Ezra carry her to the car." Byron commands.

I nod my head and lift Aria off the bed. I carefully carry her downstairs, and place her in the back of the car gently. When Ella finishes gathering Aria's things, Byron steps on the gas and drives through the streets of Rosewood.

"This hurts so much!" Aria screams.

"We're almost to the hospital sweetheart." Ella says sympathetically.

"Call the girls Mike." Aria says.

Mike nods his head and tells Emily, Spencer, and Hanna to meet us at the hospital.

"We're here!" Byron says as he parks the car.

I help Aria out, and carry her inside.

"My daughter is in labor." Byron tells a nurse.

The nurse gets Aria a wheel chair and rushes her into the delivery room.

"Ezra stay with me." Aria pleads.

"I'll never leave your side." I say as I squeeze Aria's hand.

Aria's POV

Ezra and my mom stand by my bedside as I moan in pain.

"Deep breaths Aria." My mom tells me.

"This is horrible!" I say in frustration.

"I'm sorry." Ezra says as he kisses my forehead.

"It's not your fault, well actually it kind of is." I say with a chuckle.

At that moment Emily, Spencer, and Hanna enter my hospital room.

"Aria you're glowing!" Hanna teases.

"Now isn't the time to tease her Han." Spencer warns.

"How are you feeling?" Emily asks sweetly.

"I've been better." I say to her.

At that moment I shriek out in pain.

"We'll be in the waiting room." Spencer says as she leads the girls out of the room.

"Is it another contraction?" Ezra asks concerned.

"Yes." I pant.

"She is getting them every three minutes, it's time to push." The doctor yells.

"You can do this Aria." Ezra says as he kisses me gently.

The nurse helps me sit up and the doctor spreads my legs apart.

"Push!" The doctor tells me.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" I scream out in pain.

"She is crowning!" The nurse yells over my screams.

I hear Ezra gasp as he stares down at my lower region.

"Give me one more push sweetheart." The doctor tells me.

I push as hard as I can, and a shrill scream rings out in the room. I collapse on the hospital bed and sigh in relief.

"It's a baby boy." Ezra says as tears form in his eyes.

"Would you like to cut the cord?" The doctor asks Ezra.

He nods and cuts my umbilical cord. The nurse takes the baby from Ezra's hands and cleans him off. She then wraps him in a little blue blanket and places him in my arms.

I am at loss for words as I stare at my son. I immediately begin to cry tears of joy.

"I'll leave you two alone. Congratulations, he is beautiful." My mom says as she kisses my forehead and leaves the room.

"He has your eyes." I tell Ezra as I stare into the baby's light blue eyes.

"I know." Ezra says as he admires our son.

"He has your dark curly hair too." I say in amazement.

"Thank you for giving him to me." Ezra says to me.

"I couldn't have done it without you." I say as I hand him the baby.

"Hey little guy." Ezra says as he kisses the baby's forehead.

"He is the most precious thing I've ever seen." I say as I choke on my tears.

"You're his mother, I expected that." Ezra says.

"He looks more like you." I tell Ezra.

"That's unfortunate." Ezra jokes.

"No, he is perfect." I say softly.

"He is." Ezra admits.

"So do we agree on the name?" I ask.

"Byron Robert Fitzgerald." Ezra says with a smile.

"Who would have thought our dads would share a grandson?" I ask Ezra.

"Who would have thought a Fitz and a Montgomery would elope?" Ezra asks with a chuckle.

"It was pretty unexpected." I say thoughtfully.

"It's destiny." Ezra says as he looks into my eyes.

"Things turned out well for the star-crossed lovers of Rosewood." I say as I begin to giggle.

"Don't jinx us Aria, this is only the beginning." Ezra says as he stares down at our son.

"I know, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with my two favorite boys." I say as I lean into Ezra.

"I love you Juliet." Ezra says as he leans in for a kiss.

"I love you too Romeo." I say as I kiss the one and only love of my life.

**The End! I'm so sad that this story is ending, it was probably my favorite to write. Thank you to everyone who has read this story and left me kind reviews. You gave me the inspiration to write this :). I hope you continue to read my other stories, and always ship Ezria :). Again, thank you all so much!**

**-xoxox**


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